


He Just Doesn't Know It Yet

by Harlee_Quinn



Series: Jaxene Universe [4]
Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-29
Updated: 2013-12-29
Packaged: 2018-01-06 13:55:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 78,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1107655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harlee_Quinn/pseuds/Harlee_Quinn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At 16, Jolene Morrow comes to the rescue of her stepbrother in Lodi. After a brief exile, she returns to Charming a whole lot of woman ready to claim her man. But the truth is Jax started falling for her before she left. He just didn't know it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What Happens in Lodi Stays There

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.**

* * *

It was the first of several telephone calls that she would receive or make during the course of the evening that would change her life from this day going forward.

About to sink a shot that would net her another twenty bucks, the young woman in ripped jeans and t-shirt straightened up as she felt her pre-pay vibrating in her back pocket.

"Hey, hey, no timeouts for phone calls." The slightly pissed off hang-around named Bill demanded. Bill was being fleeced by some damn teenager and he needed to make some of his money back or not be able to show his face at the SAMCRO Clubhouse ever again.

Waving him off as she noticed the name flashing on her caller i.d., she flipped her phone open.

" _Is this Jolene?" The voice on the other end of the line slurred, saying her name like it left a bad taste in her mouth._

"Who's this?" Jolene Morrow answered with a question, annoyed and a little confused as to why some bitch was apparently drunk dialing her using Jax's phone.

" _This is Amber," The girl replied, pronouncing her name 'Am-bah'. "And I'm calling you to let you know that I'm gonna fuck your boyfriend tonight."_

If Donna were in the room, she'd want to take a picture because it was a rare occasion when Jolene was struck what could only be termed as speechless. As Jolene stood by the pool table, cue still in one hand while she held the phone up to her ear with the other, the situation was slowly starting to piece itself together. Obviously, Jax had picked up some dirty, drunk skank in some dive bar, who for some reason thought she was his girlfriend.

 _Don't I wish, honey_ , Jolene thought bitterly as Amber's screechy banshee-like voice intruded. With loud Country music blaring in the background, the drunk skank ran down a laundry list of nasty things she planned on doing to _and_ with Jax once she got him home. Apparently, Amber was very confident that her dick-sucking skills were enough to make Jax forget all about the hometown girl he can't be with tonight.

 _Hometown girl? Fuck you, Tara for still haunting the mentally-challenged love of my life_!

" _Ambah_ ," Jolene started mockingly. "You have no idea how wrong a number this is." She was about to hang up when Amber started up again.

Sick and tired of hearing the drunk, but extremely sexy blond biker carry on and on about _Jolene_ , Amber had grabbed Jax's phone when he wasn't looking. Not only was this "Jolene" on his speed dial, but aside from some other chick named "Gemma," he hadn't called any other woman but her in the last seven days.

" _Unless you're not the one he calls his 'little darlin',' you're the one who's wrong, sweetheart. He's so totally hot, but a bit of a downer 'cause all he can do is talk about you. I don't know what you did to him, but you're a heartless bitch," Amber exclaimed. "Don't worry, though. Come morning, he won't care who the fuck you are anymore and I—" Without warning, the call ended abruptly._

Back to being at a loss for words, Jolene was left standing looking at her pre-pay like she just realized she had been talking into a shoe instead of a phone.

"What the fuck?" Jolene muttered under her breath as she ran her hand over her dark hair that was pulled back into a ponytail.

"Hey, come on, sweetheart!" Jolene's thoughts were interrupted by the hang-around she was currently hustling. "You in or you out?"

Stuffing the phone back into her pocket as she tried to push Jax's drunken antics out of her mind, Jolene grinned at her mark.

"Why are you so eager to lose your money? You a trust fund baby?" Without taking her eyes off of Bill, Jolene sunk her two remaining balls in one shot. Quickly pocketing the twenty, Jolene offered, "Double or nothing?"

"I've forked over at least a hundred bucks. You have enough money to cover that bet?" Bill asked, now truly annoyed.

"Doesn't matter 'cause I'm not gonna lose." Jolene boasted arrogantly, a perfect imitation of her father's smirk plastered on her face.

Looking at the young woman with the wide, pale green eyes, the hang-around tossed his pool cue onto the table. As much as he wanted to teach the little brat a lesson, he needed gas money for the rest of the week until he got paid on Saturday.

"Nah," Bill smirked. "Go buy yourself some Barbies or a dress. Pretend like you're a girl or something."

Jolene chuckled to herself. _What a douche bag_. Asshole can't even count because he had forked over _way_ more than just a hundred bucks. More like $180, but who's counting?

It was now 8:30 on a Thursday night and, with no one willing to lose to a sixteen year girl at pool, Jolene was back to being bored. It was unusually quiet in the Clubhouse, with the majority of the Club out on several protection runs for Unser Trucking, the farthest, and the one her father had taken the lead on, being to San Diego. As a result, with the exception of Lowell, who was pulling a late shift in order to have a car ready for pick up Friday morning, the Clubhouse was dead.

With her BFF Donna holed up with Opie for the weekend, Jolene had been bored out of her mind at home, roaming around the large empty house all by herself. Determined to occupy her time doing something other than thinking about Jax, Jolene had jumped into her Mustang and drove down to the T-M lot, hoping she'd be able to coax her Uncle Elvis into baking her some chocolate chip cookies.

It was only after she strolled into the Clubhouse and saw just a few hang-arounds and a couple of croweaters that she realized that Bobby had probably already hit the road. The Elvis-impersonating biker had a weekend gig in Tahoe that was paying him big bucks. Not finding him in his dorm, Jolene decided that she might as well stick around and see if she could skin a couple of the new hang-arounds out of some pocket money. Technically, her father would probably shit a brick if he knew she was at the Clubhouse on a school night, no less, without any patched members around. This was a fact Jolene conveniently forgot as she quickly fleeced the hang-around out of his first twenty.

Giving up on the lame ass crowd taking up precious space at the Clubhouse, Jolene was about to leave when she heard someone call her name. Stepping back inside, Jolene saw the new Prospect standing behind the bar, holding a phone in his hand.

"Have you seen Bobby?" The young man asked.

Jolene sauntered towards the bar. "No, he wasn't in his dorm. I think he already left for Tahoe."

"Shit, I've got some guy on the phone who wants to talk to him, like now. He says it's about Jax and that it's urgent."

Faster than a bolt of lightning, Jolene grabbed the phone out of the Prospect's hand. Hearing the words "Jax" and "urgent" in the same sentence, Jolene's first thought was, _Fuck! Ambah probably has a boyfriend_.

It was no secret that Jax had taken Tara leaving Charming quite hard, but now, more than a year later, he seemed to toggle between being a depressed and lovesick idiot and a tough outlaw biker who had recently done short time in Chino for gun possession.

Since his parole and return to Charming, Jolene had tried to spend as much time with him as possible and, for a while, it seemed like he had been getting his shit together. But just when Jolene started to get the sense that a shift in his feelings for her was about to take place, Jax went off the rails and started acting like, well, an outlaw biker on parole.

After being denied in prison all the creature comforts a typical biker had grown accustomed to as a free man and a patch, Jax was now on a quest to make up for lost time. Six months worth of weed, whiskey, and women seemed to be on the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. While Jax was apparently a legend in the making among the croweaters and sweetbutts from Charming to Tacoma to Reno, Jolene was afraid that his reputation with his brothers was starting to suffer. The last thing Jax needed was to end up in some kind of trouble that would push him even farther up on his President's shit list.

Not knowing who she was dealing with, Jolene tried to sound as mature and personable as possible as she addressed the person on the other end of the line.

"Hello. Bobby isn't available right now, but I'm Jax's stepsister." She cringed, resenting the role the much-hated title had relegated her to. "What seems to be the problem?"

Hearing the familiar background noise of loud Country music, laughter, and what appeared to be a loud argument, Jolene quickly recognized it as sounds coming from the same bar Amber had called her from not half an hour ago. What was worse was the fact that she also recognized one of the raised voices drunkenly arguing. The voice on the phone, with a distinct East Texas twang, quickly confirmed her worst suspicions.

" _Yeah, well, little lady, this is Buck callin' and you need to get Bobby Elvis down to Uncle Buck's Bar in Lodi as quick as you can. Me and Bobby, we go a ways back and I have a lot of respect for the Sons, but one of his brothers is down here causing a ruckus and if I can't get him to get, I'm gonna have to call the Sanwa Sheriff."_

_Oh shit!_

Jolene moistened her suddenly dry lips. "What exactly has he done?"

" _Well, honey, bikers aren't our usual clientele, but he seemed like a nice enough fellow, paid for his drinks, and kept to hisself. He's a bit of a pretty boy, though and started dragging attention away from a few of our regulars, which didn't sit well, but still, he wasn't bothering nobody, so I let him be." Buck explained. "I'm usually pretty good about cutting patrons off when they've had enough, but he got away from me. I gather it's from all the drinks the females kept sending his way and right now this here boy is stinking drunk. He ain't in no condition to get on his bike and I can lose my license if I let him. He sticks around much longer, though, I can't guarantee his safety 'cause it's either let him go or let some_ _of our regular good ol' boys get their hands on him. He did mention just getting out of Chino and I want to avoid calling the cops on him, but someone needs to pick this young buck up and soon."_

The last thing Jax needed was to get picked up for public intoxication or fighting. Even worse was the fear of losing him to the road. It would kill Gemma to lose her remaining son like she had his father.

_It would kill me, too._

"Don't worry Mister, uh—"

" _Buck, little lady. Just call me Buck."_

"Buck, thank you for calling. I'll be right there, but please, do whatever you can to keep him from leaving." Quickly saying goodbye, Jolene made a run for the door. Stopping, she called out to the Prospect. "I'll be back soon. Please don't tell anybody where I went."

Running across the lot and into the darkened garage office, Jolene grabbed a set of keys off a peg on the wall over Gemma's desk. Instead of her Mustang, Jolene was going to take the flatbed truck with the intention of bringing both Jax and his bike back to Charming whole, with everyone being none the wiser.

Apparently, no one ever mentioned to Jolene that the path to Hell was paved with good intentions.

* * *

With her lead foot on the gas, Jolene sped down the I-22 heading to Lodi. Hearing a knocking sound coming from the engine, she knew from experience that usually signaled that she was way over the speed limit. Looking at the speedometer and seeing she was actually pushing 90, Jolene eased her foot off the gas pedal.

_I can't help Jax if I'm splattered all over the highway._

Jolene nervously tapped the steering wheel with her fingers as she headed towards the bar. She was determined to get to Jax before the police did and get him cleaned up and sober before his brothers returned to Charming. Pulling his ass out of the fire had become a habit, but as much as Jolene knew she loved Jax, she wasn't sure how much longer she could continue enabling him. Instead of cleaning up his act after she took care of the mess and picked up the pieces, Jax would re-focus his energies on the Club for a while, only to fall off the pussywagon and roll right into a ditch.

Jolene knew she would end up ripping into Jax again by calling him out on his bullshit, trying to wake him up to the fact that wearing the Reaper was a privilege he had to earn everyday. While Jolene was convinced that Tara Knowles was no longer the issue, she had been unsuccessful so far in getting him to open up. Every time she came close, he would clam up and do something stupid like getting wasted in some strange bar in another town.

Taking the exit leading to the downtown section of Lodi, Jolene headed towards the ten-block strip that housed Lodi's bars and restaurants. Lodi was a bustling town. At least three times the size of Charming, it was lively and modern when compared to the sleepy little town that was her home.

Turning onto the street known as Restaurant Row, Jolene headed straight for Uncle Buck's Bar and Brewery. The country-themed bar was a popular hangout for locals, as well as residents of the surrounding areas, like Modesto and San Leandro. With all types of dead animal heads decorating the walls, a large mechanical bull, and bucket-sized beers brewed directly on the premises, as well as a dance floor large enough for country line dancing, Uncle Buck's was packed wall-to-wall every Thursday through Sunday night. But, as Buck had mentioned to Jolene over the telephone, it didn't exactly cater to bikers. With most of its patrons earning a living driving rigs or at the oil refinery in Martinez, Jolene could very well understand how the regulars might not take a shine to a drunken, pretty boy outlaw biker that was clearly out of his element.

Finally pulling into the bar's large parking lot, Jolene was relieved to note that there were no police cars in sight. Looking for a spot closer to the garishly lit building, which sported a large flashing neon sign with a Buck wearing a cowboy hat on its antlers, Jolene saw Jax's bike parked directly in front of the bar.

Unfortunately, he wasn't sitting on it.

Instead, a 300-lb. man wearing a trucker hat and cowboy boots was. Jolene's eyes became wide as saucers as she saw Jax storming over to the stupid man.

"Oh great, so this is where my daily dose of fucked-up-shit hopped off to! I've been looking for it all day!" Jolene spit out as she sped up. "Fuckin' moron, you NEVER sit on another man's bike!"

Jolene tried calling out to Jax through the open window of the truck, but her voice was carried away by the loud country western music blasting out of the bar. Jolene slammed on the brakes as the man suddenly jumped off Jax's bike. Without warning, the trucker pulled a handgun from the waistband of his jeans, sucker-punching Jax before smashing the butt of his gun against his head.

To this day, Jolene can't really remember what happened after that. All she could recall was the panic and the rage that washed over her. Witnesses would later relate that the story of David and Goliath played out before their very eyes, that is, if David had been a slip of a girl, maybe 90 pounds if she was soaking wet. Feeling her tongue go numb and looking like a miniature Amazon warrior, Jolene leapt out of the truck, pulling the steel bat that Piney kept under the seat in case a repo went bad, and started swinging like she was aiming for the bleachers.

The first blow to connect with the drunken mountain currently wailing on a fallen Jax hit him in the back of the head. Due to the waves of adrenaline and beer coursing through his enormous body, the blow had barely registered as an annoyance. Turning his attention away from Jax, the redneck bully was glaring right over her head, not realizing that his attacker was a good foot-and-a-half shorter. Using his inebriated confusion against him, Jolene swung again, the bat cracking against the wrist of the hand that held the gun, and knocked it to the ground. Faster than her opponent, Jolene kicked the gun under a car and blindly swung the bat one last time. Her eyes widened as the metal bat connected with the trucker's red, bloated face. The bigger they are, the harder they may fall, but as far as Jolene was concerned, she was watching the bully fall in slow motion. Slamming onto the black top of the parking lot ass first, it almost seemed like he bounced once, then twice before ending up splayed on his back.

After the red haze cleared, Jolene found herself handcuffed and sitting in the back of a police car. Beside her was a similarly handcuffed Jax, bloodied and passed out cold. As the police car pulled out of the lot and headed for the San Joaquin Sheriff's Department, one thought reverberated in Jolene's head.

_What the fuck just happened?_

* * *

Peeling tires, Gemma's Cadillac practically roared into the parking lot of the San Joaquin Police Station and came to a screeching halt.

"Gemma, sweetie, you have to chill out." Luann advised as she removed her seat belt. "You aren't going to help the situation by driving in here like a maniac. All you'll get is a ticket for your trouble."

"Right now, I'm too damned pissed to chill out." Gemma almost growled as she grabbed her designer handbag from the back seat and locked her car. "My son and stepdaughter are attacked by some redneck and _they_ get hauled in? This is bullshit!"

As Gemma and Luann walked up the steps of the station house, Gemma's mind was running a mile a minute over the current situation.

Luann had called Gemma earlier that afternoon. It had been a hair-raising day on the set of Cara Cara and she needed to unwind. Her preferred method of unwinding was to jump on Big Otto's big dick, but since it was currently out of town and unavailable, Luann suggested Plan B: dinner and a movie. Putting on their best rags, the two friends had taken off to Stockton.

They were dining in their favorite Italian restaurant when Gemma finally remembered that she hadn't turned her phone back on after leaving the theater. Seeing the missed call, and not recognizing the number, Gemma almost dismissed checking it out any further. It was only when she checked her voice-mail and heard a tearful Jolene's message that she realized that it was probably too late to duck as the shit had already hit the fan.

Gemma had always known her stepdaughter to be a strong and capable young woman. However, hearing Jolene sound so young, vulnerable, and scared awoke the protective mother bear in Gemma. Not even bothering to cancel their order, Gemma got up and ran out of the restaurant with Luann hot on her heels.

Now, as she sat in a small waiting area for someone to tell her what the hell was going on, Gemma broke out into hot and cold sweats as it finally dawned on her that she would eventfully have to call her husband.

"Mrs. Morrow?"

Gemma looked up at the tall and handsome officer. "Yes, I'm Gemma Morrow."

"I'm Sheriff Graham," He extended his hand, which both women shook. "Please follow me." The Sheriff led Gemma and Luann to a small room with a metal table and a couple of dilapidated chairs and invited both women to sit down.

Flipping through a file he had placed on the table before him, Gemma saw the grim-faced mug shot of her stepdaughter. What she had hoped was a bad dream suddenly became a living nightmare as Gemma's heart sank in her chest.

"Can you please tell me what happened?" Gemma implored.

The Sheriff quickly outlined the events of the evening and the more he spoke the worse Gemma felt. Clay was going to go off the rails and there was really nothing she could do to protect Jax.

"Right now, your son is sleeping it off in the drunk tank. We had a doctor look him over and, aside from a couple of bruises, he seems to be fine. He'll have the mother of all hangovers in the morning, but according to eyewitnesses, it could have been much worse. You can pick him up anytime after 12:00 tomorrow. There are no charges being filed against him." Sheriff Graham advised.

Gemma let out a sigh of relief. "And my stepdaughter Jolene? When can I take her home?"

"I'm afraid that matter is a little more complicated."

Gemma's head shot straight up. "What the hell does that mean?" She exclaimed as Luann wrapped an arm around her friend.

"It means that your daughter is under arrest, with charges pending. The U.S. Attorney's office is waiting for word on the condition of the man she attacked with a bat, Mitchell Conroy. Because she is a minor, the procedure for dealing with this matter is completely different."

Since Gemma seemed to lose the power of speech, Luann picked up the ball. "Can you please explain?"

"Had Jolene been an adult, the protocol would have been the standard procedure. She would have been arraigned, charges filed, and bail set. But because she is a minor, Jolene cannot be processed through our system. Depending on Mr. Conroy's condition and whether or not she will be charged as an adult, Jolene could be processed through the family court system. Right now, there's really nothing you can do for her." Sheriff Graham explained.

"Can I at least see her?" Gemma asked, realizing that she needed to pull her shit together and deal with the situation from an outside perspective.

"Absolutely, but you should know that she is being transferred to the Lodi Juvenile Detention Center in the morning until she is formally charged. Unfortunately, after she's transferred, Jolene will not be allowed visitors except for counsel."

Looking for the bright side, Gemma reasoned that being charged as a minor had to be better than not. "What happens if she's processed through family court?"

"She would stay at the Detention Center until such time as she can get a court date before the San Joaquin Family Court. The presiding judge will look at the facts of the case and Jolene's background, including prior criminal activities and school records, and eventually the judge would rule on the case and render his judgment."

"How long does the whole process usually take?" Gemma demanded.

Sheriff Graham flipped through the file. "Jolene's record is clean and if Mr. Conroy's injuries are not serious, the whole process can move pretty fast, one, two months tops."

Gemma put a manicured hand on her forehead. "Two months before she can come home?"

"Mrs. Morrow, the charges are quite serious. Right now, she's looking at aggravated assault and menacing, but depending on how the U.S. Attorney wants to play this, charges could range from attempted manslaughter to attempted murder. She used a steel bat as a weapon."

"My God," Luann declared angrily. "The so-called victim is a man three times her weight and twice her size who was attacking her brother. What was she supposed to do, beat on him with her little fists?"

"She could have called 9-1-1." Sheriff Graham advised.

Gemma was shaking her head. "Jolene is a good kid and would do anything to protect those she loves. I was told the man had a gun and had she not taken a bat to his head, I could be having a very different conversation with you right now. Is he going to be charged?"

"Mrs. Morrow, I am only here to brief you on the facts as they stand now. As an officer of the law, I cannot speculate on who will be charged with what and what the outcome will be."

"You've been on the force a while?" Gemma questioned.

Sheriff Graham nodded. "Fifteen years."

"Then speak to me from experience, not speculation. _In your experience_ , have you ever dealt with something like this before?"

"Many times."

"Okay, _in your experience_ , what has been the worst case scenario?"

"Two to three years in Juvie." Seeing both women sag emotionally, Sheriff Graham quickly continued. "However, a lack of any previous run-ins with the law and a spotless academic record could mean a reduced sentence, even probation. From experience, I will tell you that the Detention Center has been overcrowded for sometime now. Your daughter may catch a break. At the time of her booking she will be assigned a case worker and probation officer. Using her clean record, counsel may be able to convince the P.O. to release her into your care until the hearing. It's not much in the way of hope, but that's all the hope I can give you."

Gemma sunk back in her chair. Getting herself under control, she stood up. "I'd like to see my daughter now."

* * *

If his hands were pain free, Clay would beat the living shit out of Jackson Teller. As it was, it had taken him eight hours to return from the road, having to make repeated stops along the way to give his hands a rest.

Standing in the Morrow's living room, Clay paced back and forth as he cut loose on his 20 year old stepson.

"How could you be so stupid, so goddamn selfish?" Clay raged. "Do you realize the danger you put not only my daughter in, but yourself, too? You decide to do some solo barhopping in Calaveras territory? Have you lost your fuckin' mind?"

Sitting on the leather couch with his arm wrapped around his goddaughter, Bobby watched as his brother righteously ripped a new hole in the ass of the young man that he loved like a son.

Bobby had managed to put on one show at the Beacon Resort Restaurant and Lounge in Tahoe. He had been scheduled for six more shows that weekend, but once Tig called to advise him of Jolene's current troubles, Bobby had hightailed it back to Charming. He wanted to be there to give his support to Kit and hopefully prevent Jax's murder.

 _This has been a long time coming_ , Bobby thought grimly.

Jax's apparent suicide bid had finally run its course, with his stepsister getting caught in his downward spiral.

Jax stood in his stepfather's home and took every word the older man said without complaint. He knew he had royally fucked up. The young biker was certainly worse for wear. He was still wearing the same clothes from last night, his hair uncombed and matted against his head, and rough stubble growing around his goatee. Reeking of alcohol, Jax looked less like a pretty boy outlaw biker and more like homeless person.

After having spent the night in lockup, it was a major miracle that Jolene was sitting on the couch in her own home. Instead, she could have been cooling her heels at the state-run juvenile detention center in Lodi with a bunch of rough and hardened delinquents.

Upon arrival at the Center, Jolene had been assigned a social worker, Allison Dunnegan and a probation officer, Debra McAllister, to oversee her case. Dunnegan reviewed the paperwork that had accompanied Jolene and, had it not been for Scott Rosen, McAllister might have succeeded in convincing the social worker to admit her. Getting a call in the middle of the night from Clay, Rosen had managed to secure a copy of Jolene's school records, as well as a letter from her guidance counselor painting a clearer picture of the girl in the mug shot as a straight-A student, who was considering a career in education, and recommending leniency.

Rosen went on to point out that the incident had occurred in response to an unprovoked attack on a close family member. His gambit to convince Dunnegan that Jolene would not be a danger to anyone had paid off, in spite of McAllister's attempt to bring Jax's prison record into account. Since Juvie was overcrowded with far worse offenders, the vast majority of which were not there for the first time, the social worker released Jolene into the custody of her stepmother.

Pulling Gemma aside, Rosen noted that, in light of McAllister's attempts to muddy the facts with Jax's involvement, it had been a good thing that Clay had not made it to Lodi in time. He said that it was possible that the sight of the hardcore biker with the Reaper on his back might have derailed Jolene's release. Going forward, Rosen recommended that only immediate family attend hearings regarding Jolene's case and that cuts be left at home. He was going to start preparing for the upcoming hearing, which should be scheduled within the next two weeks. Clay was grateful to his counsel because getting Jolene released was probably the only reason that Jax wasn't dead and buried in an unmarked grave somewhere, thus saving his marriage.

Jolene tried to interject a word of defense for her stepbrother, but that only seemed to fuel Clay's anger. That his little girl would defend the son of a bitch at the center of all her problems pissed him off to no end. Clay wished that the young man would at least fight back or be a coward and hide behind his stepsister.

Instead, Jax absorbed Clay's anger and took his lumps like a man and, if he wasn't so damn pissed, Clay might be a little impressed. Jax had hoped his stepfather would throw a couple of well aimed punches at him. He could deal with physical pain way better than the emotional shit he was suffering through now. Jax couldn't deal with the guilt because guilt only made him want to take action and make things better and he knew he couldn't do shit for Jolene.

"So what the hell do you have to say for yourself?" Clay demanded.

Jax stood with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Nothing, except that you're absolutely right. This is my fault entirely."

Although it hurt Jolene that her father was going ape-shit on Jax, she couldn't help but be proud of the man he was for standing up to Clay and taking the blame. Maybe this was the wake up call Jax needed and, if that were the case, then everything she was destined to go through would be worth it in the end. Still, she couldn't let him take the fall alone.

Breaking free of her Uncle Elvis's embrace, Jolene stood up and walked over to face her father.

"Dad, enough, please." Jolene implored.

Looking down at his daughter, Clay angrily replied, "You can either sit down or take your ass upstairs because this does not concern you."

"Of course it does! I was there."

Clay pointed a finger at her. "And you shouldn't have been."

"Exactly."

Nonplussed, Clay stared at his daughter. "What?"

Jolene sighed and then wrapped her arms around her father's waist. Looking up at his steely blue-eyes, she moistened her lips. "Dad, I shouldn't have been there. If I hadn't been at the Clubhouse, I wouldn't have gotten the call and I wouldn't have shown up in Lodi. To blame Jax completely is totally unfair."

Gemma, who had been thinking the same thing, watched in silence, hoping that Jolene would somehow pull her husband back from the ledge.

"Jo, your father's right. You need to stay out of this." Jax replied stoically.

Turning her head, Jolene addressed Jax. "I'm not talking to you." Bringing her attention back to her father, Jolene continued, trying to be the voice of reason. "The truth is, even if I hadn't been there, if the bar owner had called me at home, where I should have been in the first place, I _still_ would have gone. Jax needed me and SAMCRO never abandons family. That's what _you_ taught me."

Bobby smiled as he watched his goddaughter come to the defense of the young man he knew she loved more than just as her stepbrother. She was clearly having an effect on her stubborn as a mule outlaw father.

Clay ran a hand through his graying hair. He loved his daughter dearly, but right now he was enraged at her for making several valid points. By doing so, she had tied his hands when all he really wanted to do was to beat his stepson senseless. Or worse.

"Please, Daddy. Just think about it before doing anything hasty." Jolene practically begged.

Shaking his head, Clay pressed a kiss on her head. "All right, baby girl. I'll think about what you've said, but I'm not promising shit."

Gemma sighed in relief, but it was a little too soon.

Clay turned to his stepson. "Jolene's bought you a little time. Go to the Clubhouse and get cleaned up." Heading towards his man cave, Clay called over his shoulder, "And until further notice, I don't want to see your ass around here or anywhere near my daughter."

* * *

Lying in her bed, Jolene was experiencing a number of overwhelming emotions. It was hard to believe that only 24 hours had passed since the incident in Lodi and her subsequent arrest. It was so good to be home and in her own bed. Even with her future uncertain, Jolene knew for sure she was going to sleep good and hard tonight.

Staring up at the ceiling, Jolene contemplated her situation. She was in no way, shape or form perfect and she had managed to get herself into some scrapes before, but never anything of this magnitude. Any trouble Jolene ever got into, whether at school, home, or the T-M lot, she most likely brought upon herself, usually stemming from her need to step up for the underdog or an innocent.

_What happened_ _last night was basically business as usual for me._

But Lodi wasn't Charming. Had she practiced batting on some drunk taking cheap shots at Jax here at home, she wouldn't be looking at two to three years in lockup. Her father would have pressured Unser and she would have been free within hours. However, realizing that she was indeed a hot head like her father and that the real world wasn't Charming, Jolene reconciled herself to whatever destiny had in store for her. If this was a lesson she needed to learn, better she learn it now than when she got older.

Rosen had called right before dinner to inform Clay that, thankfully, the man Jolene had taken down with the bat had left the hospital in the morning after several MRIs confirmed no permanent damage. Aside from a broken nose, busted cheek, and missing teeth, the bully would get to live to bully again. This meant family court would decide her fate, which was great considering that she could have been charged as an adult, with the possibility of doing a lot more time.

Jolene was so engrossed in her musings that it took her a moment to realize that someone was knocking on her door.

Jolene shot straight up in her bed, however, when she identified the sound as not coming from her door, but from her window. Looking over to the window seat, she gave a little yelp as she saw a shadowy figure literally sitting outside her window.

Jolene threw back the covers and reached under her bed for her trusty bat. As she advanced to the window, she gave a sigh of relief as she finally identified the dickhead that had scared the shit out of her. Dropping the bat back under the bed, Jolene flew to the window and opened it wide to reveal her stepbrother.

"Oh my God, Jax! Are you crazy? Get your ass in here." Jolene whispered loudly.

Pulling himself into the room, Jax landed quite hard on the window seat and rolled onto the floor. As the loud thump resounded throughout the bedroom, Jolene's eyes doubled in size.

"Goddamnit!" Jax complained, his knee throbbing.

Quickly slapping a hand over his mouth, Jolene waited. Her heart literally pumping in her throat, she hoped beyond hope that neither of her parents had heard the noise. After thirty seconds had passed and her dad had not come barreling through her door with his gun, Jolene figured they were okay. Removing her hand, Jolene plopped down on the floor beside the man that she had literally gone to bat for.

Now that Jax had had a chance to clean up, shave and change his clothes, he looked a hell of a lot better than how he had last night.

Lying on his back, Jax looked up at his stepsister. Her ebony hair was loose and flowing down the thick and fussy long-sleeved nightgown that she wore to protect her from the cold that she couldn't take. Reaching up to tuck a wayward curl out of her eyes, Jax suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of shame after all of the trouble he had brought to her door. If anyone had told him at the start of his drunkfest at Uncle Buck's that both of their lives would end up in the toilet, he would never had rolled into Lodi last night, never mind into that particular bar.

Jolene was just so glad to see him. During the big blowout earlier that day, her father had issued what practically amounted to a restraining order, literally barring Jax from the house and from seeing her. If her father even caught a whiff of Jax in her room, he would probably spit up a lung he'd be so pissed.

Seeing Jolene shivering, despite the thickness of her nightgown, Jax stood up and closed the window. Grabbing the comforter from her bed, he wrapped it around her. To Jolene's utter shock, Jax picked her up and carried her over to the bed, where he sat with his back against the headboard, his arms wrapped around her. The room was silent for a long time. Finally, Jax spoke.

"I am so, so sorry, Jo."

Hearing the pain and regret in Jax's voice caused a lump to form in Jolene's throat.

Finally managing to speak, she replied, "It wasn't your fault, Jax."

"Really? Then whose fault was it?" Jolene could hear the anger and disgust in his voice.

Jolene tried her best to give comfort to the young man that she loved so much. "Everyone screws up. Nobody's perfect. Not you and certainly not me."

"But you shouldn't be the one that has to pay for my stupidity."

"And maybe I won't." Jolene sighed. "I've never been arrested before and Dad's lawyer thinks he may be able to get me a reduced sentence, if it even comes to that."

"You wouldn't be in this position at all if it wasn't for me."

Jolene decided that now was as good a time as any to have her talk with Jax. "Okay. You're right. Maybe I wouldn't be in this mess." Jax winced slightly at her words, but she continued. "I know that you've lost a lot, Jax, like Tommy and your dad. Some things you will always miss, always mourn, but other things," Jolene said gritting her teeth. "Aren't worth missing. They aren't worth shit. And as long as you continue to wallow in that crap, you're never going to let yourself be truly happy."

_And you won't ever recognize that the best old lady in the world for you has been right in your face all along._

Jolene laid her head on Jax's shoulder, tilting it so she could look at his face. "Whatever happens to me will probably suck. I already know that." Wanting him to look at her too, Jolene grabbed Jax by the chin hair and forced his eyes to meet hers in order to emphasize her next statement. "But I don't regret what happened. Not for one moment because I would do _anything_ for you, Jax. _Anything_."

Jax looked down at the young earnest woman in his arms and for the first time, he really, really heard the meaning behind her words. Or, at least, he had finally let himself hear their true meaning. Jax knew that part of what Jolene had said had been in reference to Tara Knowles, but he had let Tara go a long time ago. He knew that what she was really trying to say without actually saying it was that she loved him and not in a sisterly way either.

Jax also knew that Jolene still harbored a crush on him, but what was tearing him up were the little glimpses here and there he'd been catching recently of the woman Jolene would grow up to be. The feelings that came with those glimpses had been confusing and frustrating him for weeks now. But the only thing Jax knew for sure was that, had Jolene been anyone else's stepsister, sneaking into her bedroom tonight would have been a _very_ bad idea.

Jolene could suddenly see the change in him. It was almost as if in realizing the meaning of what she was trying to say had lifted a weight off of his shoulders.

 _Maybe what happened was a good thing. If it finally wakes him up from this self-destructive behavior,_ _it's really worth it_.

It was enough to embolden Jolene. Wrapping her arm around his midsection, she asked, "Will you stay with me for a while, until I fall asleep?"

Adjusting his position on the bed so that they could lie down, Jax smiled. "Sure, little darlin'." He pressed a kiss against her temple. "I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

"Hey, are you up for some company?"

Jolene's head shot up to spot Donna standing in her open doorway. Practically flinging her pen and notebook across the room, she leaped off the bed and ran to her best friend. Throwing their arms around each other, Donna said, "I leave you alone for one night and you have to go ape-shit on me, Lucy?"

Jolene pulled back from her sister from another mister and replied, "Well, Ethel, maybe if you hadn't decided to hang out with your boy Fred, I wouldn't have gotten myself into this mess trying to rescue Ricky." Plopping herself back on her bed, Jolene sighed. "D, I really am in the shit this time."

Donna sat down on the bed and crossed her legs. "I don't doubt it. The whole town is talking about it."

"Really?" Jolene cringed.

"Really. In the last three days, my section at Nicky's has been packed with busybodies trying to dig up the dirt. I've made more tips in three days than I have in a two-week period."

"Are you telling me that a bump in your tips is what it takes for you to drop the dime on me?"

"Jo, you know I would never do that. Besides, it's not like I had a dime to drop." She replied cheekily. "According to Ope, there's a gag order in place and the 4-1-1 is hard to come by."

"Thanks a lot." Jolene flopped back on her bed dramatically.

"Well, I have done my best to dispel some of the worst rumors."

"Such as?"

"Such as you wailed on the guy so bad that you put him in a coma, for one."

"What the hell!" Jolene shot straight up.

"I almost witnessed a fist fight break out between two jerks because one heard coma and the other believed you actually killed the guy." Donna reported as Jolene shook her head in disbelief. "It gets better. One customer came in and said that her cousin's sister's boyfriend knows some waitress at the bar who said that—"

"Oh, for Christ's sake, I don't know if I want to hear anymore." Jolene covered her face with her hands.

Ignoring her friend's distress, Donna continued, "That the fight broke out because some guy was hitting on you, but Jax was too drunk to defend your honor, so you had to do it for yourself!" Donna laughed at the gaping hole where Jolene's mouth should be. "Ha! I thought that might cheer you up a little."

"What? You thought that some fat drunk supposedly trying to get it on with me would cheer me up?" Jolene declared, dumbfounded.

"No, stupid. That Jax was trying to defend your honor, so to speak. Speaking of the devil, is he still alive or has a date for the funeral been set yet?"

"He's still alive, but only because my dad's hands couldn't take the pounding he wanted to lay on him." Jolene went on to relate the highlights of the last couple of days—the fight, the arrest, and the big showdown between her father and Jax.

Donna put an arm around Jolene. "I'm so sorry this happened." She commiserated. "I really wish we had hung out together."

Donna and Opie had spent the entire weekend together at Donna's house. Her parents had taken off on their annual reunion weekend in Reno with several other couples they've known since high school. Donna hated getting together with Opie at the Clubhouse and, with the whole house to themselves, it was too good an opportunity to let it slip by.

And Jolene knew it too. "D, please. If you had cancelled on Ope, he would have busted a nut he's been holding it in for so long." Both of the girls laughed, but the seriousness of the situation was still too close to home.

"So, how are you holding up?" Donna asked.

"Aside from the fact that I'm grounded until alien invaders take over Earth, not too shabby." Jolene suddenly beamed a mega-watt smile at her friend like she had just won the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. "One great thing came out of it though."

"What good could possibly come out of being arrested and spending the night in jail?" Donna looked at her friend like she had lost her mind. "Did you hook up with Big Bertha?"

"Nooo! Way better." Jolene was practically jumping up and down on her bed. "I slept with Jax Friday night!"

"What the Hell?" Donna screamed.

Jolene rolled around the bed laughing hysterically. Finally catching her breath she said between giggles, "I slept with him, not _slept with him!_ " Jolene made an obscene hand gesture to emphasize her point.

"You no good heifer! Explain yourself before I die from heart failure."

Jolene explained what was actually a very innocent night cuddling with her old man without going into much detail. Some things were just _too_ special to share.

"After we talked, he stayed with me all night. He climbed down the trellis outside my window in the morning before our parents woke up. It was the most romantic night of my life."

"Yeah, and you only had to get your ass thrown in jail to make it happen." Donna quipped. Ignoring the stink eye Jolene gave her, she asked, "Do you know how soon your hearing will be?"

Jolene sighed. "We should find out some time this week. My dad's lawyer thinks the judge will go easy on me because it's my first offense and because of my good standing in school. If he takes the facts into consideration, hopefully everything will work out fine."

_It_ _just has to work out._

* * *

"Clay, you need to calm the fuck down." Bobby quietly advised.

Sitting at the Redwood table, Bobby watched his brother as he paced back and forth behind his chair at the head of the table.

"How am I supposed to calm the fuck down, Bobby? When I think about how this asshole has screwed up so royally, I just wanna rip him to shreds!" Clay growled.

 _I can't really blame ya_ , Bobby thought grimly as the thought had occurred to him as well once or twice in the last 72-hours.

In fact, the entire Clubhouse was up in arms over the situation. Generally speaking, the members of the mother charter who sat tableside couldn't give less of a shit about the teenage angst and troubles of any members' offspring. It was hard enough keeping up with the troubles concerning Club business.

However, out of all of the children associated with the MC, Jolene Morrow was different. Not only was she the MC President's daughter, but she was by far the favorite of them all. That had been pretty much the case since her first day on the T-M lot.

Standing in the open doorway of the Chapel, Big Otto watched his pissed-off President angrily pacing the room. Otto wasn't happy with the situation himself. He and Luann had grown to love Jolene as they would have had she been their own. Otto wanted to tear a strip off of Jax too, but he knew that, if he didn't step in to calm Clay down, things could get really ugly, really fast.

Just then, Clay confirmed his suspicions. "I ought to strip him of patch for this shit!"

Big Otto quickly walked into the Chapel and closed the door behind him. "You may want to rethink that, Clay."

"What the fuck is there to rethink? That shithead is responsible for getting my baby girl arrested and if the shit doesn't fall right side up, she may spend the next three years locked up!" Clay thundered.

Otto walked up to his brother and put his ham fist on Clay's shoulder. "You have every right to be angry and concerned. Now sit down." He ordered.

Clay fixed a steely blue stare on his VP. " _What_?"

"I said sit, before you wear a hole in the floor." Otto said calmly as he crossed his arms. "Calm the fuck down and let me and Bobby talk to you."

After giving Otto a fulminating look, Clay sat down in his chair and Otto followed suit.

"You have every right to be angry about this situation, but to put this all on Jax ain't fair, brother." Otto counseled.

Before Clay could open his mouth to tell Otto where he could shove that little nugget of wisdom, his longtime counselor conferred with his VP.

"Otto's right." Bobby chimed in. "Technically, this isn't Jax's fault at all."

" _What_?" Clay asked again, disbelief rendering any other response impossible at the moment.

"You know your daughter as well as any of us do," Otto continued. "And there isn't a damn thing in the world she wouldn't do to help Jax out of a jam."

"Not only that, but Kit's the self-appointed superhero of the underdog known as the Nutcracker." Bobby smiled. "That girl will take up for anybody who's defenseless. It's a by-product of her shitty life with her egg donor."

"And although I love her, what about the fact that she shouldn't have been at the Clubhouse in the first place, especially without any one of us around?" Big Otto countered. "Had she been home in her bed instead of shooting pool—"

"And ripping off the hang-arounds like _you_ taught her to—" Bobby cut in.

"—she would have never gotten the call that set this off in the first place." Otto finished.

For the next hour, Otto and Bobby continued to double-team their President until at long last Clay threw his hands up in defeat. "Holy shit! Alright already! If I hear another word out of Team Jax I'm gonna aim my puke at the both of you." Clay nearly bellowed, his anger turned down to a low simmer instead of the burning inferno it was not too long ago.

Rubbing his face with his two large mitts, which were currently throbbing and irking the hell out of him, Clay sighed. The one thing that he had always appreciated about Otto was the one thing he couldn't' stand about him at the moment. The worst part was that he was right.

Clay knew that if Jax could go back in time to change the events of last weekend, he would as he was just as overprotective of his stepsister as she was of him. And as much as Clay hated to admit it, Jolene was indeed mostly to blame for what happened. He sure as hell couldn't punish one without punishing the other.

"So what would you have me do about Jax?" Clay asked, looking into the faces of both his brothers.

"What you won't do is strip him of his patch." Bobby advised. "What went down was bad, no doubt, but it wasn't Club-related. You strip him for this and it's going to look bad, not just here in the mother charter, but to the rest of the MC once it gets around. Let's not even think about how Kit would take it."

Otto nodded his head in agreement. "Everybody knows that Jo has a serious soft spot for Jax. It would devastate our girl if you were to strip Jax because of this."

"And she sure has hell wouldn't let you forget it either. I wouldn't want to live with _that_." Bobby interjected. "And let's not forget Gemma."

"Dear Lord, I forgot all about Gemma. The two of them would make your life so miserable you'd wanna strip your own patch and go into Wit Pro. Bobby's right. The best thing you can do is to treat this as a family matter." Big Otto advised. "Your stepson messed up, so you gotta set him straight. Everyone will understand that. Keep his ass in the doghouse for a couple more weeks. I'll give him every shit job I can think of and Bobby and I will keep an eye on him, talk to him. Hopefully, we can get his head out of his ass and in gear."

Clay sighed and then nodded his assent. It was times like these that really made him appreciate the brotherhood. Clay knew that he could be something of a reactive nut job. That was why he surrounded himself with brothers like Big Otto and Bobby. Their reasonable and somewhat laid back demeanors had a calming effect on him and they never hesitated to give it to him straight even when he didn't want to hear it. Not many could pull Clay back from the ledge when he needed it.

"Okay, we'll try it your way, but Jax had better straighten his shit out. And soon."


	2. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.**

* * *

Jolene had tried her best to think happy thoughts as she waited for her day in court. Seeing the toll the whole process was having on her father, Jolene refused to show any cracks in the foundation even though she was walking around with dread covering her like a shroud. She especially tried to maintain a stiff upper lip around Jax, who never hesitated to mentally kick himself whenever he thought about the possible outcome. Even though Jax was still banned from the house, they had managed to get together several times a week at Nicky's after school to discuss any new developments, not only in Jolene's case, but in each other's lives. Spending time with Jax like this gave her the hope that everything would work itself out.

Well, it wouldn't. Not at all. Not by a long shot.

It had been the longest four weeks of Jolene's young life waiting for her day in court. As if the waiting wasn't hard enough, having to go to school while she did made it even worse.

While Jolene had a well-earned reputation for being an excellent student, a couple of incidents involving some weenies that couldn't take it as well as they dished it out, especially when it involved nut punches, had left a stink on her. While some teachers, especially those who knew her best, were very supportive, others wholeheartedly believed that it had only been a matter of time before her true colors bled out. They harbored no doubt that her outlaw upbringing had ruined any chance she ever had of becoming a decent, law abiding citizen. Even some of her classmates, many of whom Jolene had considered friends, unkindly expressed their belief that she was a lost cause.

The small group gathered outside the San Joaquin Family Court was a dismal one. Standing on the courthouse steps, Clay did his best to comfort his daughter while inwardly cursing out the court system, the judge who apparently lived with his head up his ass, and his stepson, whom he had banned from attending, the penalty being a slow miserable death if he dared show up.

Giving his daughter one of his patented bear hugs, Clay kissed the top of her head. "I'm really sorry, baby girl." Nodding her head, Jolene couldn't bring herself to respond, desperately trying to hide the silent tears that slipped from her cheeks and into the fold of her father's cut.

As Rosen stood with Clay's wife and Jolene's uncle, he watched sadly as Clay wiped the tears from Jolene's face with a blue bandana.

_Shit!_

Scott Rosen was a young, brash attorney. Having made partner in a top tier law firm by the time he was only 29, Scott had the reputation of being a ruthless shark in the court room. Soon after making partner, he realized that he would rather make a lot of money for himself than for the partners in the firm and branched out on his own. Having established an extremely successful private practice, Rosen had recently hired his first associate, a brilliant young attorney named Ally Lowen.

Rosen defended the scum of the earth. He had no qualms about his choice to do so and when asked why he would, Rosen always replied, "Because defending scum pays the fucking bills."

But even in the seedy underbelly of Northern California, there were different degrees of criminals. Unlike most of his counterparts in the legal profession, Rosen believed that not all criminals were scum. Out of all of his clients, it was the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club that best fell into that category. Rosen had a good sense as to the kind of muck they were involved in. After all, he had personally set up several of their dummy corporations, which were then used to purchase property where more than likely illegal activities were taking place on a regular basis. More importantly, Rosen frequently used his impressive skills in the courtroom to keep their collective asses out of the jailhouse and in the Clubhouse instead, and Clay Morrow made sure he got paid handsomely for doing so.

It was safe to say that in the last decade, SAMCRO had made it possible for Rosen to close on a villa in the South of France in time for his 20th wedding anniversary. So when a situation cropped up involving an underaged family member of Clay Morrow himself, Rosen felt duty-bound to do his best to help the young woman out, especially since he was charging her father $600 an hour, plus a non-refundable retainer of $10,000.

Rosen had tried every trick in the book to convince the Presiding Judge that Jolene Morrow was not a danger to society. Aside from Harry Winston and Jackson Teller, Rosen's dealings with the offspring of Club members had been, for the most part, non-existent. He had no clue what he was up against, especially if Opie and Jax were anything to go by. Trouble stuck to those two like glue.

But after reading the many letters of recommendation and reviewing Jolene's transcripts, Rosen was quite relieved that she was an extremely capable young woman who had an excellent, if not slightly colorful, reputation in the town of Charming.

Rosen used the letters and transcripts to try and sway the Judge towards giving Jolene a moderate amount of community service. He sincerely believed that would be more than sufficient punishment, considering the circumstances that had preceded the incident in which Jolene had come to the aid of her stepbrother. Rosen had also managed to convince Clay and Bobby Elvis to stay out of the court room, fearing that the Reaper would be a detriment to Jolene's case.

But none of his efforts seemed to pay off. The Juvenile Court Officer who had presented the county's case against Jolene had been very thorough in his evaluation and had quickly dug out her connection to the MC.

After that relationship came to light, it had taken all of Rosen's powers of persuasion just to convince the Judge not to place Jolene in juvenile detention for the full sentence recommended by the Court Officer. It was obvious that the Judge had been disinclined to do so, but eventually, he relented and sentenced Jolene to 18 months probation, 400 hours of community service, and successful completion of a four-week anger management course. Rosen tried to get the Court to reconsider reducing the probationary period, but the Judge said that the hot-shot lawyer was already pressing his luck and the Court's forbearance, so Rosen reluctantly backed off.

Seeing that Clay and his daughter had managed to pull themselves together, Rosen addressed Clay. "I'm sorry that I couldn't do any better for Jolene."

Clay nodded soberly. "I know you did your best, Counselor. At least she won't have to serve time away from her family."

Jolene offered her small hand to her father's attorney. "I want to thank you for what you did. If you hadn't worked so hard, I probably would have ended up in that horrible place." Shuddering slightly, she continued. "There was at least one bit of good news, Dad."

Clay raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

Gemma, who had been the only family member at the hearing and had remained silent up until that moment, answered her husband's question. "The Judge said that should Jolene meet the full terms of her probation and complete her community service before she turns 18, the chances of having her record expunged are that much greater."

Bobby smiled as he wrapped an arm around his goddaughter. "That's great, Kit. That's like saying that this shit storm never happened."

Jolene nodded. "So, for the next 18 months, guess who will be on her best behavior."

Clay pointed a finger at her. "You bet your ass you will."

"I've been ordered to meet with my probation officer next week. She will set up my community service, plus all the other happy crap I have to do and I report directly to her from now on."

Bobby gave Jolene a little squeeze. "Why don't we head back to the Clubhouse? I left a pot of my chili cooking for ya on the stove. Hopefully, the new Prospect is keeping an eye on it and it ain't stuck to the bottom of the pot."

Jolene's heart swelled as she realized that Uncle Elvis had refused to entertain anything but a positive outlook. She could have been well on her way to juvenile detention, instead of home to the waiting pot of chili. Realizing how lucky she was to be loved by so many special people, Jolene smiled before planting a big wet one on Bobby's bearded cheek.

"Sounds like a plan to me."

* * *

Sitting in the functional, but drab office on the administrative level of the Lodi Juvenile Detention Center, Jolene became fully aware of just how narrow an escape she had made.

Walking into the Center, the first thing she noticed was the smell. The overwhelming odor of disinfectant, urine, and sweat catapulted her back to her time in Kid Prison—the Seattle Home for Children, where she resided after CPS removed Jolene from her mother's custody until her father had rescued her.

However, now that the smell was mixed with the scent of stale cigarettes and scented fruity body wash, it was slightly nauseating. But even worse were the current residents. The Detention Center was built back in the 1950's to house only 80 minors, as juvenile delinquency among females had been at an all-time low then. But in the Millennium, it appeared that young women were acting the fool and as a result, due to overcrowding, there were over 120 girls in the facility between the ages of 15-18 and they were everywhere.

_Somehow I don't think I would have scored my own private accommodations here._

As Jolene was escorted down the corridor to meet with her probation officer, she noted the whispers and stares of the other girls. With one look, Jolene could tell which ones were the Bulls who ran the facility and the girls who were their Bitches and who were terrorized into submission.

Jolene was a tough girl, of that there was absolutely no doubt. But as she finally reached the office, Jolene realized how grateful she was that she didn't have to grow eyes in the back of her head. There was no way she would allow herself to become somebody's bitch for 18 months without a fight, which would all but guarantee added time to her sentence for beating down some hoes.

Jolene returned her attention to her probation officer, a short and stocky woman, probably in her late 40's by the name of Debra McAllister.

Unfortunately, the meeting was not going well.

McAllister's tone of voice and body language from the moment Jolene sat her ass down in the rickety chair in her tiny office had let her know that McAllister wasn't too impressed with her. Although Jolene's transcripts and letters of recommendation were attached to her file, Jolene could see that her father's dossier was attached as well. His rap sheet was probably as long as Jolene's petite arm and, judging from the yellow highlighting, she could tell that McAllister had acquainted herself with her father's criminal past, the MC, and the strong influence Clay Morrow had over his daughter.

The P.O. confirmed her suspicions by opening her mouth. "I have to say that I find it quite surprising that I haven't seen you in this facility before now considering your background."

Jolene's eyes narrowed to little slits. _Less than ten minutes and_ _this bitch is already trying to make me lose my mud._

Deciding not to give her the satisfaction, Jolene replied languidly, "Really? I never would have guessed that you'd have a lot of A-students as residents here." Jolene smiled wryly as she shrugged her shoulders. "Who knew?"

"It's been my experience that only the smart ones make good criminals." The P.O. shot back.

"Well, if they were any good, why would they end up here?" Jolene inquired sarcastically.

"Exactly." The P.O. smirked. "I guess that means you're not very good or very smart, for that matter."

Jolene raised her chin and locked eyes with McAllister. Realizing that her P.O. was determined to rattle her cage, Jolene smiled as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. "I'm not a criminal." She countered.

"No?" McAllister queried bitingly, barely able to contain a bitter chuckle.

"No. I would say that it was fortunate I was there that night. My stepbrother was being attacked by a 300-lb. drunk while others stood around and watched. I'm just glad I was there to do something to help." Jolene explained.

"And you thought that using a steel bat would be helpful?"

"Would you have preferred that I had used my fists instead? The man was three times my weight. That would have been like bringing a knife to a gun battle. Oh wait a second, he _did_ have a gun, which he used to bash my stepbrother into unconsciousness." Jolene said tersely.

"That's funny you should bring that up because you're the only one who saw a gun that night." McAllister claimed.

Jolene was shaking her head. "That's not possible. I was still in my truck, a couple hundred feet away and I clearly saw the gun. The parking lot was packed with vultures itching to watch a fight. Someone else saw him pull the gun, I'm sure of it."

"That's neither here nor there because Mr. Conroy was never charged with any crime, not even for his alleged attack on your _stepbrother_. As a matter of fact, you were the only one ever brought up on charges and I'm getting the vibe that you feel no remorse for what you did." McAllister accused.

It took every ounce of self-control for Jolene not to roll her eyes. McAllister had landed right on the money. Jolene felt no remorse whatsoever. In hindsight, Jolene realized that she should have aimed for his kneecaps instead. Hitting him in the face with the bat could have killed him when all she really wanted was to hurt him, badly.

Sitting up straight, Jolene looked at McAllister in the eyes. "As much fun as our little get-together has been, I am not an inmate here. What I am here for is to pay my debt to society, so why don't we put aside all of this playful banter and get down to business, so I can go home?"

McAllister looked at the young and confident woman sitting in front of her. _This girl needs to be taken down a peg, if not because of her sense of entitlement, but for own good. Somebody needs to save her from herself._

The girl obviously had some potential. McAllister had spent a good deal of time checking out Jolene's transcripts and had contacted several of the teachers who had written to the court on behalf of the student personally. She had to admit that she had been impressed with what she heard. It was a miracle that the girl had survived her upbringing with the MC, never mind being able to acquire such a stellar academic record.

For the first time in a long while McAllister was interested enough in a juvenile delinquent to do something to help her. It may take some time to get a handle on Jolene Morrow, but McAllister was determined to find a way to break the girl from her white trash family. If she could do it, she could free Jolene from the shackles of exposure to the criminal mentality of her family and put her on track to becoming a law abiding citizen.

She had 18 months to effect a change. Looking at Jolene, McAllister smiled. "I guess you're right. Let's get started."

* * *

Jax turned towards the front door as he heard what was unmistakably Jolene's Mustang as it pulled into the driveway. He smiled, relieved that she had made it through her first meeting with her probation officer in one piece.

Jolene had insisted on going to Lodi by herself and, after much arguing back and forth, Clay had finally agreed. Jax, on the other hand, thought it was a bad idea, but as he was still on the outs with his stepfather, he decided to keep his two cents to himself.

Instead, he tried to be as supportive as he could to Jolene. He was still having a difficult time with how the events of that fateful night had played out, but as Jolene hoped, realizing the consequences of his actions had finally made an impact on the young biker. The talk that he'd had with Jolene the night Jax snuck into her bedroom had greatly moved him. In a way, Jolene nearly losing her freedom had freed him from the burden he was carrying around regarding first love bullshit and he no longer felt trapped in the past.

Jax took a quick look around the living room and even though Donna had taken his simple idea for a get-together and ran away with it, he was sure Jolene would get a big kick out of his surprise. Calling to Opie and Donna, who seemed to be taking an extraordinary amount of time getting the final snacks, Jax walked over and opened the front door before Jolene could put her key in the lock.

Jolene nearly jumped a foot in the air when the door opened unexpectedly. "Damn it, Jax!" She squealed.

"Hey, little darlin'. Didn't mean to scare you."

Looking up at her golden god, Jolene was thankful that he was still in one piece. Jax had been banned from the Morrow household until further notice as Clay was still not speaking to his stepson.

"What are you doing here? And where's my Dad?" Jolene said as she quickly pushed Jax into the hallway, and closed the door behind her. Jolene had been expecting to see both of her parents at home waiting for her to get the 4-1-1 on her meeting.

"Gemma had to run out, some crisis with the Taste of Charming Planning Committee. Clay and most of the Club are on their way to Indian Hills." Reaching out, Jax tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Ope and I asked to stay behind, so we could check on you."

Just then, Donna and Opie appeared in the hallway. Running to Jolene, Donna gave her friend a big hug. "Hey, bestie! How did it go?"

"Yeah, are you on the run for killing your P.O. 'cause we can probably get you out of the country." Opie joked as he strode over and wrapped Jolene in a bear hug.

Not knowing his best friend to be the touchy-feely type, Jax's eyes narrowed.

 _What the hell is Ope doing_?

Not noticing the slight appearance of a sexy green-eyed monster, Jolene replied, "Not on the run yet, Ope, but I'll keep the offer in mind. The bitch has it out for me, so it's only a matter of time. But never mind that, what have you guys been up to?"

"Come and see," Donna smiled happily. Dragging her best friend around the corner of the foyer and into the living room, Jolene nearly bust a gut at the sight.

The living room was decorated with black and white streamers and small white Christmas lights strung across the room, creating a warm soft glow. Several bunches of helium-filled balloons, each with one balloon in the shape of a bat were scattered around the room and the coffee table was practically groaning under the weight of all of Jolene's favorite snacks and what looked like a large stack of DVDs.

"Oh my God," Jolene squealed. "We're having moving night? We haven't done this in ages!"

"We figured you needed some cheering up after meeting with your P.O." Jax advised.

"Actually, it was all Jax's idea, including the bat-shaped balloons, just in case you don't think it's funny." Opie teased. He hadn't been at all surprised that Jax would want to do something special for Jolene today. His best friend was still beating himself up about Jolene's situation even though she seemed to be taking the whole thing in stride. What did surprise Opie, however, was the fact that Jax had been willing to pass up the opportunity to sample Jury's stable of women in order to stay behind and cheer up his stepsister.

Jolene's eyes had moistened when she saw all the effort that Jax and her friends had gone through in order to make this day not suck so horribly. And a part of her couldn't help but hope that a change was going to come real soon between her and her old man.

Wrapping her arms around Jax, she gave him a huge hug. "Thank you. This is the best surprise ever."

Suddenly fighting the urge to drop a kiss on her full pink lips, Jax smiled down at Jolene's beaming face instead.

 _I'd do anything for you, too, Jo_ , he thought. _Because you are so worth it_.

* * *

Jolene's life had finally fallen into a fairly easy routine of school, homework, working at the garage, community service every Saturday, and hanging out with Donna, Opie and Jax every chance she got. Her father had finally lifted his ban on Jax and the two men seemed to have entered into a period of peaceful relations. Jax was also spending more time working at the garage and with the Club and less time making solo runs to Reno, much to Jolene's delight.

The only thing that wasn't so great were her bi-weekly meetings with her probation officer. It seemed like the bitch took great pleasure in trying to push Jolene's buttons regarding her ties to the MC, but for the most part Jolene had been able to hold onto her tongue and her temper.

But not today. Today was different. Feeling her tongue go number in her mouth, Jolene tried to hold back as the P.O. started needling her again. And after almost five months of this abuse, Jolene finally lost her shit.

Jolene proudly defended SAMCRO. They were the only family she had ever known. They loved and protected her because that's what family did, the same reason she had taken the bat to the drunk bastard in Lodi. Jolene accused McAllister of deconstructing her family by a set of rules that did not apply. Sure, with the exception of her father, she really wasn't related to any of her father's brothers and yes, the majority of them had criminal records, but they were good men. Maybe not by McAllister's terms, but they had their own code of honor that they would die before they violated. The MC had provided her with something her mother never had, a safe and loving environment to grow up in. Jolene accused McAllister of letting her prejudices blind her to the true meaning of her father's brotherhood and that her hatred for SAMCRO was baseless and pathetic.

Storming out of the small office, Jolene had no idea what she was in for.

McAllister angrily threw her pen down on her desk. She had tried for the last five months to reach the stubborn girl who couldn't seem to realize the unhealthy environment she was living in. It was obvious to her now that the young woman was brainwashed and being groomed to live her life as "old lady" to some criminal on a motorcycle. The only way Jolene Morrow could be saved was to pull her away from her family entirely.

Opening up Jolene's file, she reviewed the current information McAllister had on her birth mother. There was a slim chance that she could move to effect a change to save this girl from herself and from the MC.

Picking up the phone, Debra McAllister made a call that would have a serious impact on not just Jolene Morrow's life, but on those who loved her as well.

* * *

Neeta Benson pulled her gunmetal grey Honda Civic into the T-M lot. Parking her car along side the garage, Neeta got out to survey the area, which was teeming with activity. The lot was typically busy on Friday afternoons, but Neeta noted that a large number of the Club's members were also around.

To Neeta, the jury was still out on the motorcycle club known as the Sons of Anarchy. She wasn't quite sure what to make of them at all. Neeta had been hired by Gemma Morrow to be her housekeeper when she remarried and moved into the large new home her husband had bought for their newly-formed family in an exclusive part of Charming.

Neeta, a recent parolee after serving nine years of a 15-year sentence at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, was grateful to get the job. She and Gemma had come to an understanding pretty early in their relationship and she had grown fond of both Jax and Jolene. She tolerated Clay and had the good sense to do her best to stay out of his way.

However, with the recent events surrounding Jolene's arrest, pretty much everyone was on edge and when Neeta signed for the official-looking envelope from the San Joaquin Family Court, she decided that she had better bring it over to the Club, and in a hurry.

Walking over to the office, Neeta poked her head inside and saw Gemma, sitting at her desk and mumbling under her breath as she searched in vain for a bunch of invoices she had been working on all morning.

"Damn it! I can't leave shit for five minutes without somebody moving it."

"You know, maybe if you got yourself some of those nice manila file folders that Jolene likes to use for her school work, you might not be so damn disorganized." Neeta advised as she leaned against the open doorway of the office.

Looking up, Gemma saw the woman who had become her housekeeper and had somehow managed to insinuate herself into the Morrow family household as more than just an employee. As diverse as their backgrounds were, sometimes Gemma felt she had more in common with Neeta than she did with Luann. Neeta, although a good Christian woman who attended church regularly and taught bible classes to women on the inside, was a woman who had been to the school of hard knocks and had learned a thing or two. Neeta was laid back and genial and, even though they never discussed her time in prison, Gemma knew it took a special breed of woman to survive nine years in maximum security lock up.

Gemma rolled her eyes as she pulled off her glasses. "Neeta, what the hell are you doing down here? I get enough backtalk from your ass when I'm at home."

"Hey, don't get your panties in a twist with me because you can't find your shit," Neeta walked over and sat in the chair in front of the desk. "Especially when I came down here to do you a favor."

Gemma looked at the no-nonsense woman. "And what favor is that?"

Neeta sighed as she dug her hand into her purse. "The mailman came today."

"Doesn't he come every day?" Gemma said snarkily.

"Yeah, he does, but this time he came with an envelope sent certified mail and return receipt requested. I thought it might be important, so I brought it down here." Neeta looked at her employer. "Gemma, it's from the Family Court for Clay."

Gemma's eyes widened. "Oh, fuck!"

* * *

Clay was in the garage showing Jolene how to change piston rings. Their two heads, one with dark hair shot with gray, the other with long curls the color of the sky at midnight and shoved messily under a cap, were pressed closely together as they huddled under the open hood of the silver Lexis.

"See, baby girl. You need to loosen the bolts on the sliding piston—" Clay turned his head as he heard someone clear their throat and looked up to see his sexy wife in tight jeans and a fitted button-down shirt standing in the open bay. "Hey, baby." Straightening up, Clay noted that his wife was stiff, almost like she was frozen to the spot to which she was standing.

Clay quickly walked over to Gemma. "Baby, what's wrong?" He asked, noting her pale face. As Clay drew closer, he saw the large manila envelope Gemma was holding with a sheaf of papers and realized that something was dreadfully wrong.

He wasn't the only one. Jax, who was working on a Nissan Sentra in the same bay, quickly wiped his hands on an oily rag before tossing it on the ground and walking over to stand in front of his mother. "Ma, what is it?"

Gemma swallowed the lump in her throat. She was about to deliver what would be devastating news to her family and right now she wished that she was anywhere but here. "It's about Jolene."

Jolene, who had finally clued in that something was going on, walked into the midst of the group. "What about me?" She asked puzzled.

Gemma handed the papers over to Clay. "What are these?" He asked, almost afraid to hold the papers in his hands.

"It's Jolene's egg donor's petition to the Family Court." Gemma started bleakly. "She wants her back."

"What?" Clay and Jax shouted so loudly that the other mechanics and brothers working on vehicles stopped abruptly.

Jax quickly looked over at his stepsister, whose face had literally turned ghostly white and he could see her slight shoulders heave in what was barely under control panic.

"Daddy? What does this mean?" Jolene asked, her voice small and frightened.

"Shit!" Clay said angrily as he tried in vain to read the official looking papers. "I don't have my glasses."

Clay wrapped an arm around Jolene as Jax grabbed the papers from his stepfather and read aloud the horrifying news. Valentina Robles was petitioning the Family Court to get custody of her daughter, Jolene Morrow.

"What kind of bullshit is this?" Bobby demanded as he joined the group. "Valentina gave up her rights to Kit when she was six years old."

Jax shook his head angrily. "I don't know. According to these papers, it says that Jolene was taken from her mother by CPS when she was five, transferring custody to Clay a year later, but that no papers were ever signed and filed by Valentina relinquishing her rights as her mother. How could CPS fuck up so badly by not getting her to sign off on giving Jolene up?"

"I don't give a shit who dropped the ball! That cum dumpster has no fuckin' rights! Not after what she did to her." Clay raged.

Jolene was staring intently at Jax, who was biting his lip as he flipped to the last document in the small pile and continued reading the papers. He started shaking his head, his jaw clenched.

"What? What is it?" Clay demanded, not liking the look on Jax's face.

"It's that damn P.O. She filed an affidavit in support of Valentina's petition along with a recommendation that the Family Court amend Jolene's probation—" Jax trailed off.

"Amend it how?" Jolene asked angrily. She was up-to-date on her probation obligations and had even finished her four-week anger management course.

Jax looked at the girl, who seemed to have shrunk in size at hearing the bad news. "To amend it by making it conditional. Your P.O. is requesting a restriction making association with the MC or any of its members a violation of probation." He explained, his voice tight and barely above a whisper. "It says here that 'violating the new amended conditions will result in automatic suspension of probation. The minor will then be remanded to the custody of the Lodi Juvenile Detention Center where she will carry out her full sentence with time added for probation violation, up to four years or until her twenty-first birthday, whichever comes first'."

Without warning, Clay threw the wrench he was holding so that it smashed through the rear passenger window of the Lexus he and Jolene had been working on.

Gemma folded her arms across her chest to keep herself from nervously twisting her hands. "I don't understand. Why would that drug-infested whore want custody of Jolene now? It's been ten years."

Bobby shook his head. "She doesn't. She was put up to this. Valentina Robles doesn't have two brain cells to rub together. There's no way she came up with this bullshit on her own. This has that P.O.'s stink all over it."

"He's right," Jax conceded, running his hand over his chin hair. "The fact that the P.O. wants to amend her probation, basically removing Jolene out of the only home she's ever had, she needed back up. Jolene's P.O. wants her away from us, that's a given, but no family court in the world would remove a kid out of stable home just to place them in foster care. She needed Jolene's birth mother because no matter how shitty Valentina is, courts very rarely deny a mother custody."

Jolene looked at her father. "Dad, what are we gonna do?"

Clay pulled Jolene into his arms and kissed the top of his daughter's head. "Don't you worry, baby girl. I will move heaven and earth for you. There is no way I'm going to let this happen."

* * *

Trying to do her best to comfort her old man, Gemma softly stroked Clay's hair as he laid his head on her lap in their bed. Jolene's situation had steadily gone from bad to worse and had finally culminated in a blow that was felt throughout their SAMCRO family.

Scott Rosen had recommended a lawyer specializing in family law, who suggested submitting a counter-petition requesting permanent custody of Jolene. The lawyer, although skilled with many years of family law practice under his belt, had warned Clay that it was unlikely that the Court would deny the birth mother's request. Despite the attorney's best efforts, the San Joaquin Family Court had decided to grant Valentina Robles' request for custody of her daughter, with Jolene allowed weekly phone contact with her father only.

In addition, the Court ordered Clay to pay a monthly four-figure sum to Valentina for child support. It was quite clear to anyone who had ever met Valentina that the child support had probably been the big draw in her requesting custody. Now that Jolene was almost an adult and completely self-sufficient, little would be required by Valentina to provide in the way of daily care, leaving her free to enjoy the full benefits of the child support.

Jolene's amended probation would go into effect within 24 hours of the Court's Order, requiring Clay to turn his daughter over to the Family Court the following morning. Only hours before, the family had what would be their last dinner together, with no one in much of a mood to eat.

Gemma was a good old lady. She had had a lot of practice, so she did what was needed. She held her husband in her arms and, in the privacy of their bedroom, gently rocked him while he cried.

* * *

Jax also knew what was needed from him at a time like this. That's why he had his arms wrapped protectively around his stepsister, cradling her slight body against his hard one, as she sobbed quietly into his cut. Inhaling the sweet scent of her soft hair, Jax tried his best to comfort her as he pressed kisses against her head.

Jolene was not a crier. The first—and last time—Jax had seen her cry was when Thomas had died when she was eight. It wasn't in her nature to allow her hurt feelings to be seen by others. She had stoically resolved to be strong and had done well to hide her despair when the Judge had granted her egg donor custody. She refused to allow her father or his brothers to see how devastated she truly was.

But now, in the privacy of her room, and in the arms of the man she loved most in the world, Jolene allowed her tears to come.

It was a little after midnight. In less than ten hours she would leave the home and family she loved in order to be handed over to the Family Court for transport to Seattle.

_And it's my fault._

Jax had only recently been able to come to terms with the negative effect his drinking binge had had on Jolene. Six months into her probationary period, and Jolene seemed to be doing well and was constantly assuring him that she was dealing with the situation. _Just twelve more months and I'll be out of this mess and everything will be fine_ , she would say and Jax had started to believe it.

She wasn't used to losing it like this and Jax could feel her struggle to regain her self-control. As a young child, Jolene had taught herself never to cry. She flinched as she remembered how irate and irrational Valentina would get whenever she cried because she was hungry or scared. Instead of comforting her young daughter, Valentina would wipe away her tears by violently backhanding her, sending the small child sprawling across the room. This was the same monster the Court was condemning her to live with while Jolene completed her probation. Her bitter laughter mixed with a strangled sob that nearly choked Jolene as she griped Jax's cut as if it were a life preserver. She would have been better off going into Juvenile Detention.

Alone in her room earlier, as she packed her suitcases, Jolene had refused to let herself succumb to the fear the thought of living with her birth mother awoke in her. It was a feeling that, after ten years in Charming, she wasn't accustomed to, but even though she was hurting, Jolene tried to remind herself of the words spoken to her by Chibs a long time ago. _Pain is just weakness leaving the body_. Jolene was sure he had been referring to physical pain. At the time, she had been moaning about how much pain she was feeling after an hour of pounding away at the punching bag, but Jolene was sure the same principle applied to her current situation. Although the pain she was feeling now was emotional, it was still crippling and Jolene refused to let this unsavory turn of events break her and destroy the person she had become thanks to her SAMCRO family.

All efforts to remain unemotional, however, had flown out the same window Jax had climbed through. When she had heard the light tapping on her window, Jolene knew instantly that it was Jax and she had rushed let him in. As he silently stared into her eyes, his heartbreak clearly reflected in his soulful blue eyes, Jolene finally gave way to the torrent of tears she had been holding back. He quickly picked her up and carried her over to the bed and that was where they had sat for the last hour.

Jolene knew that Jax was beating himself up about what had happened and she knew that she needed to stop him before he took on the burden of her problems and started down a path of self-destruction again.

Wiping her eyes for the last time, Jolene pulled away from him and grabbed some Kleenex from the box on her night table. Blowing her nose several times, she finally looked at Jax. "I feel a lot better now."

"You've been holding that in for a while, haven't you?" With one arm still wrapped around her, he brushed her hair away from her face with the other, letting the silky strands run through his fingers.

Jolene nodded. "Yeah, and it's not good to hold shit in, but I was afraid to let go 'cause I may never stop." She said, a couple of tears escaping to run down her cheeks. "It's just that I'm really going to miss everyone." _Especially you._

Jax brushed the tear tracks away with his thumb. "I'm going to miss you too, little darlin'." He replied gruffly. "A year is a long time."

"Yeah, but if I concentrate on school and my community service, life with my egg donor will be over before I know it. I'll be finished with my probation and get my record expunged. I'll be 18 and back home in Charming with Seattle just a bad memory." _And by then, I'll be more than ready to tackle you._ Jolene did her best to smile brightly. "Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Keep your ass in Charming. Please don't beat yourself up about what's going on with me and do your best to keep the peace with Dad. Okay?"

"I promise, little darlin'." Jax smiled, pressing a kiss against her forehead.

Jolene shivered a little, so Jax pulled her into his side and tucked the comforter around her. Lying against the headboard, Jax cradled her in the crook of his arm, her head on his chest. "Go to sleep. Tomorrow will be here soon enough."


	3. Sleepless in Seattle

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.**

* * *

Although not uncommon in NorCal, it was appropriate that the sky was overcast and gloomy the day Jolene Morrow was forced to leave her family. The weather certainly matched the mood of the small procession that left the Morrow residence and headed to the T-M lot.

Gemma was behind the wheel of her Cadillac thumbing her lit cigarette as Jolene sat with her arms crossed over her chest, while Clay, Bobby, and Jax rode into the lot behind them.

Since her father had been served with Valentina's petition for custody, Jolene felt like she was living someone else's life. She couldn't believe that Family Court would actually force her to live with the drug addict that had abused her as a child instead of the father that had loved and protected her from day one, simply because her biased probation officer seemed to have it in for her extended family of bikers. The last twenty-four hours had literally crushed the Teller-Morrow family. Knowing that Jolene was to be immediately ripped from their lives and forced to live with a mother she didn't know, everyone seemed to be going through the motions of living, refusing to acknowledge that when the day was over, SAMCRO would be short one family member.

Having been ordered by the Family Court to turn herself over to her probation officer for transport to Seattle by nine o'clock the next morning, Jolene had spent most of her last day at home packing her things and saying goodbye to her friends. Saying goodbye to Donna had nearly crushed both girls, who had been inseparable since their middle school days.

Jolene got out of the car and walked towards the group of patches and their old ladies who had come to the lot to say their final goodbyes. As Jolene walked towards them, she looked around the compound that had been her home for ten years. Every corner of this place held special memories for her. The garage, the Clubhouse, the ring where Chibs had taught her how to fight, the picnic table where she had shared so many good times with her family. She was determined to get through this without crying, and knew it wasn't going to be easy.

None of the mechanics were on the lot yet, which was good. Jolene had said her goodbyes to Dog and Lowell and the rest of the crew yesterday and knew she couldn't take going through all that again.

Standing in what was essentially a receiving line, her father's brothers waited their turn to say goodbye. Wrapping his arms around the slender girl, Piney squeezed her tightly.

"I've got a special gold label bottle of Patron waiting to celebrate your return, drinking buddy." He whispered into her ear.

Jolene sniffed. "I can't wait, Piney."

Jolene almost chuckled as she was quickly passed over to Opie, who towered over her like a Redwood tree. Her surrogate brother grabbed her and lifted her off the ground as he hugged her tight. "Try not killing anyone up there, okay?"

"I ain't promising shit." Jolene couldn't help but giggle. "You can put me down now, Sasquatch."

"Hey, Doll Face." Tig pulled her into his embrace almost before her feet were on the ground again. "Give that bitch hell." Originally from the Tacoma charter, Tig was all too familiar with Clay's history with Valentina. "Remember, when all else fails, biting is totally permissible."

Jolene laughed because he was so totally serious. "I will."

"Well, 'lil luvvie," Chibs pulled the young girl into his arms and kissed her on the cheek. "I know this exile will be hard on ya, but there's not one other SAMCRO kid that has the stones to make it through. You remember that, lass."

Jolene nodded grimly. Finally, she turned to face Big Otto and Luann.

Luann reached out to give her a gentle squeeze. "Don't you worry at all about us out here, sweetie. You just take care of yourself. You'll be back home soon."

"I know." Jolene returned the hug. As she let go of Luann, she suddenly found herself wrapped in Big Otto's beefy arms and she almost lost it.

"Luann's right, sweetheart. Just keep your nose clean and come back home soon." Otto smiled as he tucked a small, but thick envelope into the pocket of her denim jacket as Jolene's eyes widened. "Just a little running around money. And remember, if the shit hits the fan up there, no court order will keep us away. You call home immediately, all right?"

Jolene nodded quickly and pulled out of his embrace.

Taking one last look at all the people she loved the best, her family, Jolene turned and walked back to the car. Not trusting herself to glance at them one more time, she got into the passenger seat and waited for Gemma to drive away.

* * *

The short ride to the San Joaquin Family Court seemed even shorter than usual to Jolene, who wanted to prolong whatever time she had left with her family as much as possible. Her probation officer, Debra McAllister, was to meet them at the courthouse in order to personally escort Jolene to the airport. Jolene would be flying into Seattle where her case worker from Child Protective Services would meet up with her and transport her into her mother's custody.

Jolene was leaning against Gemma's car parked outside the entrance to the grayish-white building. She was huddled against Jax as he mindlessly smoked a cigarette. He had been holding her protectively against his side with his arm draped around her shoulders for the past twenty minutes as they silently waited with Gemma and Bobby for her father and McAllister. As anxious as Jax was to get this over with—like ripping a bandage off a fresh wound—he was dreading it even more. As far as he was concerned, let them take their time.

 _With any luck, Jo will miss her flight_.

Even though no one had spoken a word since Clay had disappeared inside, Jolene was thinking along the same lines as Jax. She hoped that if McAllister was responsible for her missing the flight, then it would be like Family Court had forfeited ripping her away from her family and she could go back home. That was wishful and childish thinking, but the glimmer of hope that thought gave her was extremely comforting at a time like this. But even that moment of pretend hope was fleeting as Jolene saw her father angrily exiting the building with the small and stocky woman practically running at his heels.

"Oh, shit." Jolene heard Jax muttered under his breath as he blew out a stream of blue smoke and tossed his cigarette into the street.

Reaching out for his daughter, Clay grabbed her and pulled her into one of his massive bear hugs, completely engulfing Jolene. "I'm so sorry, baby girl. This gash—" He stopped and corrected himself even though all he wanted to do was riddle her body with bullets. "Your P.O. says that this is as far as we go. We can't take you to the airport."

"What?" Gemma, Bobby and Jax exclaimed all at once.

McAllister almost cringed with fear as she was slammed by five pairs of eyes raging with fury. "I'm sorry," She started. "But our orders from the Court were clear and precise. You are required to turn the minor over into our custody for transport from this point forward. I am afraid you will have to say your goodbyes here." Pointing to a red Camry, the P.O. asked, "Can one of you gentlemen please move her luggage to my car?"

"Are you shittin' me?" Bobby was livid, making Jolene's lip quiver slightly. She had never seen her Uncle Elvis this angry, the lost look in his eyes breaking her heart. "Court order or not, we're still her family and we can't even take her to the fuckin' airport?"

"There's no need to be vulgar. I'm only following instructions as mandated by the Court." The P.O. retorted. "We need to get going, so you have five minutes."

"Five minutes?" Jolene felt herself get breathless and a little light-headed.

"Your father wasted enough time by having his attorney call the Judge's Chambers for clarification of the order." McAllister explained as Clay angrily glared at her. "In the end, it was a waste of time and we cannot risk you missing your flight. Five minutes."

At this, Jolene, who was still wrapped in her father's arms, began to weep silent tears.

 _Shit!_ Jax felt his heart clench at the sound of Jolene's soft cries. Using his gloved hand, Jax pressed his fingers to his eyes, forcing himself to hold back the tears no one here would blame him for shedding. Jolene needed her family to be strong for her right now, but it was definitely easier said than done. Although Jax had known saying good-bye would be hard, the young outlaw biker had simply not been prepared to handle his own emotions. Aside from the guilt he still felt for the part he had played in all of Jolene's troubles, he knew he was going to miss her like hell, which only served to confuse him further. Walking away quickly, Jax removed the luggage from his mother's car and followed the P.O. to the trunk of hers.

Clay gently pushed Jolene away and kissed her on her forehead and cheeks. "You know how much I love you, baby girl. Before you know it, you'll be home with us and this will be nothing but a bad memory. Okay?"

Jolene nodded, but simply couldn't speak.

"I had Gemma put a pre-pay in your bag with the charger. We may not be able to see each other, but we can talk. I want to hear from you every week. You understand me?"

Jolene nodded again. Releasing his daughter, it took everything for the hardened outlaw biker not to shed tears as he watched his daughter go into the arms of his old lady. He couldn't decipher the low murmur of their discussion, but as he watched them, he saw the two greatest loves of his life fiercely hug one another.

Moving on, Jolene stretched her arms around the ample girth of her Uncle Elvis and squeezed. "I'm going to miss you so much." She whispered softly, sniffing loudly to keep her nose from running onto this cut.

Bobby looked down at his goddaughter. In many ways, she was and always would be his fourth child. "I'll miss you too, Kitten, and don't you worry. I'll make sure to look after your old man."

Jolene lifted her head. "Both of them?" Her voice trembled slightly. She knew her father still harbored resentment towards his stepson and, without her around to cool his jets, it could very well get out of hand.

 _She still won't give up on_ _snagging Jax_ , Bobby grinned _._ "Especially asswipe over there." He kidded. Pulling a paper bag from the saddle bag on his bike, he turned Jolene around, unzipped her backpack, and shoved it in. "Just some blueberry muffins for the road. You can have them for breakfast tomorrow. There's some pocket change tucked in there, too."

Hugging her uncle one last time for his thoughtfulness, Jolene turned to face Jax who had returned to the miserable-looking group along with the probation officer.

Wearing one of Jax's SAMCRO t-shirts underneath an oversized hoodie, baggy jeans, and steel-toed black boots, Jolene looked like his favorite little grease monkey now more than ever.

With eyes that were red-rimmed and soft, Jax reached out to pull his stepsister into his arms and swung her around so that he could have a final private moment with her. He smiled, realizing that she hardly reached his collar bone. Wrapping the small young woman tight against him, he barely noticed that he had knocked off her Reaper Crew cap, but his hands, as if of their own free will, instantly found themselves buried in the soft mop of her heavy black curls.

"I'm so sorry, Jo." He almost whispered, his lips pressed against her hair.

Wrapped in the embrace of the young man she's loved for seven long years for what would probably be the last time in twelve months, Jolene sounded younger than 17, her voice so small, Jax had to strain in order to hear her.

"Stop apologizing, Jax because you know I would do it all over again." She pulled back, her wide green eyes searching his blue ones darkened by the intensity coiled around him. "You remember what you promised me?" Jax nodded with a half smile. "Then I expect you to keep it."

"I will." He replied with a wink and, to Jolene's shock and awe, gently bent down to kiss her on her forehead, her nose, and then placed the briefest of kisses on her lips. "Be good, little darlin'." Scooping up her cap, Jax placed it backwards on her head.

Jolene turned and, after giving her father one more hug, got into McAllister's car and slammed the car door shut.

It was only as the car carrying his daughter pulled away from curb and drove down the street that, with his arms around his old lady, Clay finally allowed his tears flow.

* * *

Angela Bainbridge took a quick glance at the young woman sitting in the passenger seat of the blue Toyota Corolla as she maneuvered her car through Seattle's busy streets. Angela could probably count the words Jolene Morrow had spoken since she had picked her up at the airport on one hand and still have fingers left over. Pushing her wispy ginger bangs away from her eyes, the young social worker contemplated trying to engage Jolene in conversation, but thought better of it. They would have plenty of time to get to know each other as Angela had been assigned Jolene's case upon the young woman's return to Seattle. The girl was going to have a difficult transition to make and it was probably best to let her gather her thoughts before she was reunited with the mother she has not seen in a decade.

Angela had recently completed a Master's Degree program in social work and was barely ten years older than Jolene. She was young and idealistic, and it was clearly obvious that the young woman had not been working in the field all that long. As a matter of fact, Jolene Morrow was the first case she would handle on her own, reporting to her supervisor during weekly staff meetings. Angela approached every new case with so much enthusiasm and optimism that her co-workers advised her to pace herself or she would burn out. Although the culture at CPS was dominated by nine-to-five clock-watchers, Angela prided herself on having no set schedule. She worked as long as her job required her to and she spent most of her time in the field, working with the at-risk children that were her responsibility.

Stealing another glance at Jolene, Angela realized that, even though looks could be deceiving, the young woman did not appear to be one of those "at-risk" cases. She had a healthy California glow to her skin and her clothes, not only clean and well taken care of, sported designer labels. Aside from the gangly slimness common among pubescent girls, Jolene did not appear malnourished or sick, which according to her CPS file she had been before she had been initially removed from her mother's custody. That's what disturbed Angela the most about this case and it was also one of the reasons why she wanted to establish a rapport with the young woman before she dropped her off on her mother's doorstep.

From what she had read, Angela knew that Jolene was on probation for beating an adult male with a steel bat. While Angela was not in law enforcement or the legal profession, from what she had gathered, the situation in Lodi, California appeared to have occurred in defense of an incapacitated family member. It was an isolated incident as Jolene Morrow had never been in trouble with the law before and had a stellar academic record. She had been raised by a single father from the age of six until he married when she was twelve. Aside from several arrests for general hotheadedness and a couple of six-year stretches in Chino for weapons possession before Jolene was even born, Clay Morrow had not been arrested in over five years. Not only was he a decorated Vietnam Veteran, but he was the highly respected co-owner of a lucrative auto repair business in Charming, California. Even the name of Jolene's hometown sounded as idyllic as her home life.

But according to Jolene's probation officer, Debra McAllister, nothing could be farther from the truth. Clay Morrow was the President of the mother charter, as well as the National President of the motorcycle club known as the Sons of Anarchy. According to McAllister, SOA was a vast criminal organization with ties to violent inner city street gangs as well as Italian and Russian organized crime. It was also suspected that the mother charter, known as SAMCRO, had direct ties to the Real IRA in Northern Ireland.

Having only recently learned about Jolene and her subsequent return to her mother's custody, Angela had been called into her supervisor's office about a week ago for a conference call with the young woman's probation officer in California. The picture McAllister had painted was a rather bleak one, which was why, the probation officer claimed, she had supported Ms. Robles' petition to Family Court. Even though Jolene's mother hadn't earned an honest living since her late 20's, as a stripper no less, and had been arrested several times for prostitution and drug possession, McAllister still considered her to be the lesser to two evils. It was clear that Jolene was a two-time loser in the parent department, but in spite of the brainwashing Jolene had to most likely endure in Charming, McAllister argued, she was an extremely capable and intelligent young woman. McAllister was determined that Jolene Morrow would achieve more than just being a notch on the bed posts of some dirty bikers.

Pulling up to the curb outside a seedy-looking five-story walk-up, the social worker parked the car. Jolene quickly stepped out onto the curb, refusing to show trepidation. Neeta, who had slipped a bible into her backpack, advised Jolene before she left the house this morning to never show fear. Bullies, like her egg donor, who used to beat and starve her only child for kicks, thrived on targeting the weak and Jolene was no one's punk bitch.

Jolene looked up at the soot-covered brownstone and curled her upper lip in disgust. Glancing up and down the street, she checked out the neighborhood. The CPS drone who had picked her up from the airport had said that Valentina was living in one of the better low-income neighborhoods in Seattle, but Jolene could already tell that it was barely one step away from being a dump.

Angela popped the trunk of the car and pulled out Jolene's duffel bag. "Hey, Jolene, grab your suitcase. The building doesn't have an elevator, so we have to hike it to the third floor."

 _Just great_ , Jolene smirked to herself as she threw on her backpack. Grabbing her suitcase out of the trunk, she gestured for her duffel bag.

"I've got it." Angela insisted as she closed the trunk of the car.

Jolene shook her head, not making eye contact. "I can carry my own bags."

"I'm sure you can, but I'm going to help you anyway." The young woman smiled kindly. "Come on." She led the way up the concrete stairs leading up to the glass and wood front door. Entering a small vestibule, Angela pushed open another glass and wood door with a broken lock. With the soft clicking of the social worker's kitten heels on the white and black tiled floor nearly drowned out by the yelling coming from an apartment down the hall, they headed up the dilapidated wooden stairs.

Practically dragging her ass up the flights of stairs, Jolene could feel her heart pounding in her ears. It had been ten years since she last saw Valentina and once her father had sprung her from "Kid Prison", Jolene had hoped to never have to see her ever again. She had been five years old when her bitter egg donor had joyfully handed her over to CPS with what little belongings she had in a plastic shopping bag. At the time, Jolene remembered feeling frightened and more alone than ever. She soon realized, however, that even after a year of living in a home with other castaway and unwanted children, the day her mother had given her away had been the luckiest day of her life because it led to the fateful day she had finally met her father.

 _I miss him so much already_.

Finally reaching the apartment, Jolene stood behind the CPS case worker and waited for her to knock on the door.

"Are you ready for this, Jolene?" Angela turned to face her.

"Does it matter? It's not like I really have a choice," Jolene groused. "Or do I?" She asked hopefully.

"No." Angela replied with a slight frown. Dropping the duffel bag at her feet, Angela reached into her handbag and pulled out a business card. "Here. We'll be meeting later on this week in my office, but in the meantime, if you need anything or just need someone to talk to, please call me. My cell phone number is on the back."

Jolene stared at the card Angela was holding out for her. Her first instinct was to play the tough chick role and tell the CPS drone she didn't need any fake-ass concern on her part. She was going to do just fine. But it was clear that Angela Bainbridge wasn't the typical social worker. She was young, fresh out of college, and naïve as fuck to think that she could possibly make a difference in the lives of all of the disposable children lost in the system. Just as Jolene was going to scoff at the offer, she found herself grabbing the business card out of Angela's hand and tucking it into the pocket of her jacket.

With a small smile, Angela turned and knocked on the door. When after almost a minute and no answer, she knocked again.

After several more seconds with no answer, Jolene snarked, "Maybe she's not home. Why don't you just drop me off at a foster care facility?"

But before Angela could reply, the door opened and Jolene found herself looking into the face of the woman who had given her life.

* * *

The knocking on the door startling her awake, Valentina Robles barely managed to push herself off the once-beige couch in her cramped and cluttered living room. It was almost two o'clock in the afternoon and she wasn't used to being up this early. She was exhausted and couldn't wait to hit the sack again, but that would have to wait until she had cleared CPS out of her apartment. As Valentina teetered down the long hallway on high-heel leopard print platforms, she wondered—not for the first time, either—how in the hell she had let that butch probation officer from California talk her into this.

The mere suggestion of reuniting with a teenage daughter she had given up when the girl was barely out of diapers filled her with cold indifference. At 37, she really didn't need this shit. Valentina wasn't known in her circle of acquaintances as having patience for bullshit and everybody knew that teenage girls wallowed in melodrama and angst like pigs in slop. The P.O.—McDonald, McCullough, whatever the fuck her name was—had assured her that Jolene was a "good kid".

 _Ha! Not if she's got my genes_ , Valentina thought bitterly as she approached the door.

"Speaking of genes, let's hope she looks like her daddy." Valentina chuckled to herself. She was in no way ready to deal with some attention-seeking Lolita slut under her roof.

When Jolene's probation officer had approached Valentina with the offer to help her get custody of her daughter, she almost laughed in her face. The idea of taking on a nearly-grown daughter had been the farthest thing from her mind. She had been overjoyed beyond belief when she finally managed to get rid of the damn brat. The check Valentina had been getting from the government for raising her own daughter was no longer worth the trouble and she had grown tired of being harassed by CPS regarding the kid's health and education. But the woman had made some convincing arguments.

At 17, Jolene was practically grown and self-sufficient. All Valentina had to provide was a clean and safe environment and make sure she went to school regularly. Other than that, with the hefty child support payments she would be receiving from Clay Morrow, it would be like living with a roommate. In addition, the P.O. had preached her psycho-babble bullshit about mother-daughter bonding benefiting them both in the long run. According to McWhatever, having Jolene in her life would give Valentina a reason to stay sober and would give Jolene the opportunity to see that there was indeed life outside that backwater, podunk town called Charming.

That piece of shit government drone didn't know squat. Valentina had no choice but to make her last stint in rehab stick because she herself was still on probation for her last arrest on drug charges. She had weekly piss tests to stay clean for, but she only had four weeks left until she was a free woman. Clay's money was sure to come in handy then.

As for helping Jolene see that the world was her oyster, simply put, Valentina didn't give a flying fuck about helping her realize shit. If the school of hard knocks was good enough for Valentina Robles, it was certainly good enough for her "daughter."

Finally reaching the door as someone knocked for a second time, Valentina ran her hand through her hair and smoothed her red fitted blouse over her black leggings. As the door flew open, neither mother nor daughter was prepared for what they saw.

Actually, Jolene was a little disturbed by what she saw and, if the look on her egg donor's face was anything to go by, she wasn't the only one.

Someone should have really prepared her for this shit because Jolene found herself staring at a face that was eerily much like her own. With golden skin, dark and long curly hair, and bright green eyes, no one looking at the two women would ever doubt that they were mother and daughter. With her eyes quickly scanning over her mother, Jolene noted that, while her body still appeared curvy and youthful, ten years of hard living and drug use had taken its toll on her appearance. Despite the fact that it was mid-afternoon, Valentina looked tired, worn, and just a little haggard.

Valentina looked at the young woman standing by the CPS drone and she was not happy. _It's like looking in a mirror, 20 years ago,_ she thought grimly.

The girl was definitely a natural beauty, much like she herself had been at that age. She was young and gangly, with puberty obviously ready to jump her ass at any given moment. Valentina remembered being a late bloomer herself. Not someone anyone took notice of back home in Illinois until the ass and tits fairy finally decided to pay her a visit. Seemingly overnight, the once shy and humble young girl had caught the attention of the opposite sex. The rest, as they say, is history. With Jolene required to stay at least until her eighteenth birthday, Valentina could feel the resentment building in her towards her own flesh and blood. No doubt the girl was probably going to be more trouble than she was worth.

Seeing the CPS drone in the cheap skirt suit watch her expectantly, Valentina was tempted to put on a show by welcoming her daughter with open arms, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. As a matter of fact, she was sure that agreeing to take her in again was probably a big mistake. Looking at her brought up all the feelings of anger and resentment Valentina felt towards Clay Morrow, who had no problem banging her on the regular for over a year, but never saw fit to make her his old lady. Knowing how vigorously Clay fought to keep custody of their daughter and seeing that it was obvious that Jolene was well cared for just made Valentina loathe the girl more.

 _Let's get this show on the road_.

"Come on in." Valentina drawled. Barely acknowledging her new houseguest and her escort, she turned and headed to the living room.

* * *

Jolene was sitting in a soft and plushy arm chair with a textbook on her lap as she tried to work out a math problem on a piece of scrap paper. Stumped, she bit her nail and reached for the cup of coffee on the table in front of her. Having been so engrossed in her calculus homework, Jolene was startled as she looked around the nearly empty Starbucks.

"Shit." Jolene muttered under her breath as she noted the time on her watch. _8:20. Almost closing time_.

Night time was her least favorite time of the day. Noticing the weary looks most of the staff was throwing her way as they cleaned up for the night, Jolene quickly packed her books into her messenger bag. Just because she dreaded going home didn't mean everyone else felt the same way. Closing down Starbucks had become a recent habit for Jolene and only because the public library by her school closed at six o'clock.

Heading for the exit, Jolene stopped as she heard one of the Baristas call to her by name. Turning, she almost bumped face to chest with the tall and lanky young man with a hipster haircut and black frame glasses.

"Hey," Johnny Martin smiled down at Jolene. "If you wait around a few minutes, I can drop you off at your house. My car's finally out of the shop."

Jolene raised her eyebrows. "Did you tell 'em what I told you to say—what was actually wrong with it?" She asked.

While making small talk a couple of weeks ago, Johnny had brought up the problems he was having with his car and that he would probably have to sell a kidney in order to pay for the repairs. Since it had finally died in the employee parking lot behind the store, Jolene offered to take a look at it. Not totally convinced that a hot chick like her knew her way around cars, Johnny decided to humor her anyway.

His mechanic had told Johnny that he needed a new alternator and with parts and labor, the job would cost him around $2000. Less than five minutes after trying to start the beat up 1991 Volvo and looking under the hood, Jolene advised him that he had a loose timing belt and the wires connecting the battery to the engine were burnt out and frayed. As far as she could tell, his alternator was fine. She could probably fix the timing belt herself and all he had to pay for was the part, but she couldn't help him with the wiring.

 _That's Big Otto's specialty_ , Jolene had thought at the time.

Back in Charming, T-M would have billed Johnny about $500, including parts and labor. Seattle wasn't Charming, but her father would never let any of his mechanics charge a customer for work they didn't need. Jolene suggested that he go back to his mechanic and tell him he knew exactly what was wrong with the car and that he wasn't paying more than $400. After a little haggling, Johnny was able to get the job done for $450.

"You saved me from having to borrow money from my parents." Johnny advised her. "They would've never let me live it down, so giving you a ride home is the least I can do for you."

Johnny seemed like a nice guy, but shit was complicated enough without borrowing trouble in the form of a not-so-secret admirer. Besides, she didn't want anyone she remotely liked in any way knowing where she lived.

"That's nice. I'm glad to hear it, but I'm meeting a friend." Jolene lied. "She gets out of work in like forty minutes and we usually take the bus home together. Thanks anyway." Not giving Johnny a chance to try and change her mind, Jolene hastily exited the store, throwing a quick wave over her shoulder as she beat a path down the street.

Jolene felt slightly guilty about blowing Johnny off, especially since he had been nothing but polite and sweet since she started hanging out at that particular store. She had lied to him, too, which she wasn't proud of. She wasn't meeting a friend. Jolene had been in Seattle almost three months and had yet to make any friends, and it wasn't for lack of trying on her schoolmates' part. It had amazed and taken her by surprise how quickly her classmates had accepted her, in spite of the fact that she was starting her senior year in a new school in a different city. Everyone she had encountered so far had been nice, but making friends meant inviting them into your life and Jolene's life in Seattle wasn't only miserable, but it was temporary as well. She was literally counting the days until she was free from this hellish nightmare and could go home again.

Although Jolene hated to admit it to herself, life with her egg donor hadn't been too bad her first few weeks in Seattle. Neither one had the patience or desire to fake a relationship with each other, so Valentina and Jolene did their best to stay out of each other's way. With school keeping her busy during the week and her probation work with Habitat for Humanity on Saturdays, Jolene had kept to herself when she was in the apartment. Usually locked in her glorified closet Valentina had the audacity to call a bedroom, Jolene killed time listening to music while studying or writing in her journal. Surprisingly, Valentina had made the effort to keep the kitchen fully stocked, so whenever she got hungry, Jolene would make herself something to eat. Although she always offered Valentina some of whatever she had made, the egg donor had always declined, preferring to spend her time sitting on the couch watching Jerry Springer episodes she would record while sleeping during the day, smoking cigarettes, and drinking Diet Pepsi.

But the uneasy peace they had shared for about four weeks ended as soon as Valentina's probation had. No longer required to submit to drug tests, Diet Pepsi was soon replaced by vodka and cranberry juice cocktails and her slim and girly cigarettes were soon joined by big, fat blunts.

Booze and weed. No big deal considering where she came from. Throw pussy in the mix and you'd have all the essentials needed for more than half of the Club back home—including Jax—to survive. But soon, the Valentina that Jolene remembered from her childhood started making brief appearances. The more she drank, the more belligerent and mean-spirited Valentina became, which hadn't surprised Jolene at all. Not even when a drunk Valentina would wake her up at three o'clock in the morning in a rage, cursing and carrying on about Clay and his ill treatment of her. Still, Jolene managed to go through her days without giving Valentina the reaction she was so obviously looking for.

Unfortunately, their uneasy peace was shattered when, shortly after Valentina finished probation, her drug-dealing pimp of a boyfriend, Ricardo "Pretty Ricky" Hernandez, was paroled from prison.

It was a little past nine o'clock when Jolene finally made it back to Valentina's apartment from Starbucks. She could hear Valentina talking loudly over the telephone to one of her friends, reminding him not to forget the rolling papers and cranberry juice on his way over. She was laughing raucously as Jolene stealthily closed the front door and practically tiptoed to her room. If she was lucky, she could take a quick shower and make it into her bedroom before any of the egg donor's friends started arriving.

Jolene practically shuddered in disgust as she stripped out of her clothes and threw on her bathrobe before gathering her shower supplies and heading to the bathroom across the hall from her bedroom. Having grown up in the SAMCRO Clubhouse, Jolene was used to witnessing a level of partying that was unprecedented, but usually her father or Uncle Bobby would make sure she had cleared out and gone home before the real debauchery began. She wasn't naïve. Jolene knew exactly what went on during Clubhouse parties, but as far as she knew, those parties weren't drug-fueled orgies. Alcohol-fueled orgies, maybe but at least she didn't have to try to sleep within earshot of the goings on.

Thank goodness it was only Wednesday. Usually, Valentina's weeknight get-togethers were more subdued and tamer than her weekend parties, even though they all seemed to end the same way, with Valentina banging one or more of her guests, usually at the same time. At first, Jolene would lie on her bed, wide awake, and wishing she was anywhere but here. Eventually—and unfortunately—she grew accustomed to the nightly partying and managed to let herself fall asleep, only to be woken in the middle of the night by one of the egg donor's drugged up boyfriends pounding on her door, demanding she let him in.

Setting the water as hot as she could possibly take it, Jolene stepped out of her bathrobe and into the shower. Quickly washing and conditioning her hair, she moved on to scrubbing her body with a bath sponge and her favorite scented body wash. Running her hands over her skin to rinse off the wash, Jolene marveled at one of her newly-acquired assets. Her breasts had seemingly exploded from an A to a small B to Double D's overnight, bypassing the C cup completely. It was just her luck that her body would decide to finally catch up with her age as soon as she had left Charming and her protective clan of bikers.

Drying off as fast as possible, Jolene threw on her underwear and flannel pajamas. After brushing her teeth, Jolene wrapped her freshly shampooed hair in a towel. Sliding into her warm and fluffy robe, Jolene grabbed her travel bag of shower supplies and headed back to her bedroom. Valentina's friends had already shown up and, unfortunately, Jolene's room was within spitting distance of the kitchen where several of them were mixing drinks while others sat at the dinette table smoking weed and talking and laughing annoyingly loud. Before she could make it to her door, one of Valentina's slimy-looking male friends, Ben with the long greasy brown hair and the bad skin of a heroin addict, blocked her path.

"Hey, pretty girl," Ben smiled, exposing several gaps where teeth used to be. "Why do you always lock yourself up in your room? You should join us for a drink or two. Have some fun and loosen up a bit."

Jolene was shaking her head. "No, thanks. I don't party." She went to open her door, but Ben blocked her again. Pushing the towel she had wrapped around her hair off her head, he grabbed onto a handful of damp curls, bringing them up to his nose.

"Mmmm, you smell so nice." He practically moaned, moving until he was dangerously close to her face. Jolene closed her eyes, his sour body odor, a combination of poor hygiene, sweaty onions, and beer, literally burning her nose. "You really should make the effort to be nicer to your mother's friends. It's bad for her business having a prissy, stuck-up bitch of a daughter prancing around looking so fuckin' hot all the time."

Jolene had sized up Ben the first time she had met him over a month ago. In addition to being a creep of outrageous proportions, he was 130 pounds of skin and bones. If push came to shove, although petite and about 15 pounds lighter, Jolene knew she could take him down. That's not to say that the rest of Valentina's friends wouldn't jump in and then she would literally be fucked. Instead of punching him in the face and knocking out the blackened and rotting teeth left in his mouth, Jolene went another route.

Clutching her stomach with her free hand, Jolene heaved several times. Ben quirked an eyebrow at the strange, but beautiful young woman.

"You okay?" He asked, but instead of a yes or no answer, before he knew what hit him, Jolene spewed all over the front of his dirty white t-shirt underneath the open flannel shirt he wore and his shoes. "What the fuck?" Ben nearly yelled, his hands up as he was unable to believe that he just got puked on.

"I'm so sorry." Jolene lied. "I'm not feeling well." She lied again.

Stooping quickly to pick up her towel from the floor, Jolene shoved it into Ben's hands and beat a fast retreat into her bedroom locking the door with not one, but two locks, the second being a padlock she had installed herself after strange men took to knocking on her door at all hours.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Jolene was shaking with not fear, but anger. Wiping at her mouth with the sleeve of her bathrobe, she was grateful she could still make herself throw up on demand, something she discovered she could to quite by accident. Instead of beating up bullies in grade school and running the chance of getting in trouble for fighting, Jolene had found an alternative, yet disgustingly humiliating way to deal with them and not get suspended. She should have known that was a skill that would come in handy later in life when boys or, as in this case, skeevy drug addicts got too touchy-feely.

Kneeling on the floor, Jolene searched under her bed and pulled out the golf club she had found in the hall closet. It wasn't her trusty bat, but it would come in handy in putting a hurting on anyone who tried breaking into her room while she slept. Looking at the pre-pay charging on her dresser, Jolene had to fight the urge to call her father. It was almost ten o'clock, her preferred time of day to call home, but Jolene hadn't done so going on two weeks now. She couldn't talk to her father now because she was afraid she ran the risk of breaking down and telling him what had been going on as of late.

Tonight had not been the first time Ben had come on to her. As a matter of fact, Ben wasn't the only one of her mother's friends to come on to her. The worse offender had to be Pretty Ricky, Valentina's "official" boyfriend. Every chance he got, she had to practically fight him off. Pretty Ricky was the one who was constantly trying to get her to open her door at night. Like clockwork, almost every other night, when he was sure Valentina was down for the count, he would start with the soft knocking and kind words, which soon turned into him punching the door and calling her every dirty name in the book when she ignored his pleas. Jolene knew it was only a matter of time before fighting him off was no longer possible, but telling her father would guarantee a violation of the Family Court's Order of no physical contact with the MC, which in turn would result in one dead pimp.

She had to find a way to deal with the situation. Maybe talking to her case worker, Angela Bainbridge was the way to go. If she could get Angela to see just how bad Jolene had it living with the egg donor, maybe she would recommend that she be returned to her family in Charming. That was probably wishful thinking, but what alternative did she have? For the first time in over ten years, Jolene felt like a lamb living among wolves.

Something had to be done now or she was going to end up regretting it later.

* * *

Jax smoked a cigarette while leaning on his bike outside of the high school.

 _Fuck! What the hell was I thinking?_ Jax chastised himself.

He was just minutes away from violating the Family Court's Order that demanded that Jolene have no contact with the Club. He was taking a big chance, but someone had to check on his favorite grease monkey. It had been over three months since Jolene had left home and her presence back in Charming was still sorely missed and not just by her immediate family either, but by SAMCRO, her friends, and all of the T-M employees as well.

Aside from Clay, Jax was willing to bet, that out of everyone who loved Jolene, it was he that missed her the most. Over the last 18 months since Tara had left Charming, Jolene had spent whatever time she had left, after adjusting to her busy life in the honor's program at Excelsior Prep, hanging out with him, Opie, and her BFF Donna. Jax hadn't realized how much he would miss Jolene until she was gone. Even though Jax wouldn't admit this even to himself, missing her was a large part of the reason why he spent much of his time on the open road, Reno being his favorite destination.

Always the first to volunteer for a run, Jax had just completed delivery of a shipment to Tacoma with Tig and Chibs . As usual, there was always a good time awaiting patches from the mother charter whenever they visited and last night had been no exception. Jax was sitting at a table in the Tacoma Clubhouse, sipping on a bottle of beer with a pretty little brunette sweetbutt perched on his lap when an idea had occurred to him.

So in the morning, as Tig and Chibs prepared to head back to Charming, Jax let them know that he was staying another night. Thinking that Jax was not prepared to let go of the pussy he had snagged for himself last night, his brothers hit the road as Jax turned his bike in the direction of Seattle's city limits in search of Jolene Morrow.

Jax knew that if anybody ever found out that he was paying his stepsister a visit, he would most definitely catch hell. The new terms of Jolene's amended probation stated that she was to avoid all contact with the MC, with the exception of the once a week phone call to her father. He figured his best bet would be to wait outside her new school.

And so here he was, enduring the cold dampness in plain clothes, waiting for school to let out.

Just then a steady drizzle started again, which had Jax contemplating finding shelter from the relentless rain when the doors to the school suddenly opened and students, dressed in appropriate rain gear and carrying umbrellas, nearly stampeded out of the building.

Jax quickly realized that picking Jolene out of the emerging crowd would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

He was wrong.

Front and center, Jax saw a tiny and familiar figure leading a small crowd out of the building. Surrounded by guys and girls alike, Jolene Morrow was running her mouth a mile a minute as she briefly stopped to say goodbye to her schoolmates. Finally, cutting through the teacher's parking lot, Jolene dashed across the street and hit the sidewalk at a brisk pace.

Jax smiled to himself. _She doesn't seem like she changed much_ , he thought as he saw her walking directly towards him, yet oblivious to his presence just steps away. As she got closer, he could see that she was shivering, much like a tiny lap dog, as she struggled to zip up her hoodie underneath her thick pea coat, which was currently flapping open in the wind.

Jolene was cursing at herself. Trying in vain to button up, she realized that, at this rate, opening an umbrella would be a moot point as she was going to be soaked through by the time she got to the bus stop. With her head down as she braced herself against the strong gusts of wind, Jolene walked right by Jax and kept going.

Surprised, Jax couldn't help but chuckle. "You need some help with that, little darlin'?" He called out behind her.

Jolene stopped dead in her tracks, thinking that she was hearing things. _God, I miss him so much, I'm hallucinating._

But when she turned around, her breath caught in her throat. Blinking rapidly, Jolene took in the tall blond man dressed in a hoodie and jeans, a backwards baseball cap on his head and wearing sunglasses even though it was overcast and gloomy. He was leaning against a Harley Davidson Dyna-Glide and Jolene was struck speechless by the beautiful picture he made.

_OMG!_

Taking a few tentative steps, Jolene suddenly sprinted as she ran into Jax's outstretched arms.

"Oh my God!" Jolene squealed as his arms gently cradled her against him. "I can't believe it's really you." Jolene was on the verge of tears. Unable to contain her excitement, and before she could stop herself, she reached up and pressed several hard kisses to Jax's wet cheek.

"I hope you're really happy to see me and not just faking it after I had to call you out for walking right past me." Jax teased, smiling down at her with warm affection dancing in his blue eyes. "Damn, Jo, have you grown a couple of inches?" Before she had left Charming, Jolene's head barely reached the top of his collarbone and now her head fit snugly right under his chin.

Jolene nodded breathlessly. "Just a little." The shock of seeing her first and only love was enough to send Jolene into orbit, but remembering the terms of her probation, she quickly plummeted back to earth, thinking that something had gone terribly wrong back home for Jax to be standing here in front of her. "Oh my God, is it Dad? Is something wrong with Dad? The Club?"

Jax quickly moved to quiet her obvious fears. "No, no, nothing like that, little darlin'. Everyone's fine, although I think I might need to stop calling you little."

Jolene beamed up at him, still cradled in his arms. _That's right. I'm all grown up now. You just don't know it yet._

"Why are you here then?" She asked, still a little concerned.

Jax smiled as he brought his hand up to tuck loose curls that had escaped her hoodie, cupping her face briefly before wrapping his arm around her again. "I was in Tacoma and I got to thinking about you. Next thing I knew, I was parked outside your school, checking up on you."

_Oh, my God, he was thinking about me?_

"I figured it would be better if I came here instead of your place, since technically I'm not supposed to be here at all." He explained.

Jolene reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck, and hugged him hard. "I am so glad that you did."

At that moment, the heavens decided that Seattle needed some more rain as a torrential downpour began, causing them to let go of each other.

 _Frickin' perfect timing_ , Jolene moaned to herself as she tried to shield herself from the rain.

Jax quickly worked to zip up Jolene's hoodie and button her coat. Grabbing his helmet from his bike, he plunked it on her head and then got on his bike. Holding his hand out to her, Jax said, "Come on, darlin'. Let's go."

Jolene swallowed the lump in her throat and reached out to take his hand. Climbing up behind him, Jolene wrapped her arms around his hard chiseled chest, which she could feel even under the layers of clothes he was wearing. Resting her cheek against his back, Jax shifted into gear and ripped down the street.

* * *

It was a miracle that Jolene had been able to secure the last table in the corner of the overcrowded Starbucks. The overpriced and trendy coffee shop was packed with customers who had been driven inside during the sudden burst of torrential rain.

Sitting down at the table, Jolene smiled as she unbuttoned the top two buttons on her coat and loosened her hoodie. Pulling it down off her head, Jolene's long mane of luxurious dark curls fell around her face and down her back. Jax sat back and took in the sight of the long curly strands framing her fuller and more womanly face. With her startling wide seafoam green eyes dancing with joy just looking at him, Jax nearly caught his breath at how beautiful she was.

_God, I can't believe how much I've missed her._

He also couldn't believe what three months could do for a young girl. He had always known that eventually when puberty caught up to Jolene that she would be a stunner and, he noted angrily, it seemed he wasn't the only one who had noticed.

Jolene smiled at one of the servers who worked behind the counter. "Thanks a lot for scoring us the table, Johnny."

"Anything for my prettiest customer," Johnny replied, his voice cracking. But as his eyes met the cold hard stare of the man sitting across the table from Jolene, he stammered. "I'd better, um, get back behind the, the counter."

"Yeah, why don't you do that?" Jax threw Johnny a ferocious grin, which had turned his vivid blue eyes into a hard, steely stare, much to Jolene's astonishment.

Jolene watched in stunned amazement as the young Barista high-tailed it back towards the busy counter as if he was being chased by a pack of wolves.

 _Actually, just one blond wolf in particular_.

Rolling her eyes at Jax, Jolene said, "Why didn't you just pull out your Glock and shoot him? It would have been a lot less scary for him."

"What? And run the risk of having his 'prettiest customer' kick my ass?" Jax said brusquely. "What's up with that, anyway?" He gestured towards the tall, and in his opinion, nerdy man-boy with horn-rimmed glasses behind the counter. Jolene turned and could see Johnny swallow the lump in his throat from clear across the room.

"Will you stop intimidating him? He's just a nice guy who's given me a couple of free refills. That's all."

 _Oh, darlin', I'm willing to bet that's not all he wants to give you either,_ Jax thought and abruptly blinked his eyes in shock. _Where the hell did that come from?_

Jolene could not believe what she was seeing with her own eyes. If it were anyone else, she'd think that Jax was acting territorial. If the look he was shooting at Johnny could stop his heart, the poor guy would drop dead where he stood. His pretty boy good looks aside, Jolene knew that Jax could be deadly when called for, but she had never known him to be a bully. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the young man who had always been so nice and respectful to her. If she didn't know better, she would almost think that Jax was—

_Jealous?_

At the very thought, Jolene's heart started beating double-time in her chest. Like a wide receiver who suddenly got the ball in his hands and started hauling ass towards the end zone, Jolene's mind did the same thing.

Jolene started mentally gathering the facts—Jax had come all the way to Seattle just to see her. The wonderfully warm and gentle way he had greeted her at the school definitely had a touch of possessiveness with regards to the way he held her. Now, he was actively looking to scare an innocent acquaintance to death. It all seemed to add up that maybe, _finally_ , Jackson Teller was starting to see her in a different light.

_Now what the hell am I going to do about it?_

While all of this was running though her head at the speed of light, Jolene worked to fix Jax's coffee the way he liked it, putting in at least ten packets of sugar and adding a generous amount of cream from the carafe she had managed to snag from the fixings station. She smiled to herself as she recalled Jax's disbelief at all the beverage choices. Seeing that he was a little overwhelmed, Jolene had taken the initiative and picked a brewed coffee that she thought he would enjoy when they finally reached the front of the line.

Placing the large cup of coffee in front of him, Jolene smiled. "Try that on for size."

Jax grabbed the cup and took a hesitant sip and smiled. "Not bad, but—"

"But, what?" Jolene crossed her arms.

"Don't get mad, darlin'. You fixed it perfectly and it tastes great, but for what they charge, it ain't all that." Jax replied as he took another sip. "The crazy thing is, I must have seen a dozen of these shops before I got to your school."

"Yeah, they're pretty popular around here. I think it's because of all the rain, which it does every day, several times a day. Who would've thought that I'd miss the sun as much as I do everyone back home?" Jolene quipped.

Leaning back in her chair, Jolene gazed at the blond biker that she knew belonged to her and only her. He looked so beautiful and alive, but tired and maybe a little run down as well, and she decided to say as much.

"Have you been burning the candle at both ends?" She asked, bringing her cup of coffee to her lips.

Jax took another sip of his coffee. "Why do you say that?" He quirked a blond brow.

"Because you have the look of a man that's had way too much liquor and pussy and not enough sleep." Jolene retorted.

Jax smirked. _She knows me just a little too well for her own damn good._

Jax quickly side-stepped the issue. "I am doing fine, darlin'. My concern, however, is you."

Suddenly, Jolene eyes darted about in every direction but his. Putting a wooden stirrer into her cup, Jolene put an enormous amount of concentration into stirring her coffee, which Jax thought was strange considering she always took it black, no sugar.

"There's nothing to be concerned about, Jackson. Everything is fine with me."

_Now I know something is up._

Jolene rarely had the occasion to use his full name and the only time she did was when she was either angry, trying to wheedle something out of him, or had something to hide.

_Like now._

Reaching out, Jax grabbed the hand Jolene was using to stir her coffee and put it on the table, his large hand covering hers and holding it in place. "I don't think you're being honest with me, Jo. When a family member suddenly stops calling home, I've got to believe that something is wrong."

"How did you know—" Jolene started and abruptly stopped, but Jax finished her statement.

"That you haven't been calling home? I may be on the road a lot, but I still take time to catch up with Bobby. He told me that Clay hasn't been hearing from you regularly."

_Damn it, Uncle Elvis!_

Jolene was over the moon that Jax had come to see her, but the one thing she did not want to talk about was the reason why she had fallen off the radar recently. She had enough to deal with without having to worry about her dad or the Club taking matters into their own hands. Jolene quickly moved to counter whatever concerns Uncle Elvis had stirred up.

"I don't have any issues or problems, with Dad or anybody at home. It's just taking me some time to get adjusted to life out here. Being away from Charming is a hard enough situation to deal with and I know that it's really hurting Dad. It's just easier for me not to miss him and everyone back home so much— _including you—_ if I don't call home so often."

Jax leaned back and looked at Jolene. While what she had said sounded plausible, reasonable even, there was a part of him that felt that he wasn't getting the full story, but other than calling her out on what may be a bullshit excuse—which wouldn't endear him to her—Jax realized that he would have to accept what she had to say. But he could at least do something for his stepfather and President.

"Okay. I guess I can understand that," Jax noted the sense of relief that fluttered over Jolene's expressive face. "But that's still no excuse, Jo. Your Dad needs to hear from you more than once every couple of weeks. I know it's hard," He gently squeezed her hand. "But you need to try and do better. Promise me?"

Jolene swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in her throat. It took everything within her not to just break down and tell him everything. _But if I do that, there's no way Jax is going back to Charming without dealing with the situation first._ Not to mention the fact that he might just throw her over his shoulder and take her back home. That would bring a world of trouble down on him and the Club. She couldn't risk it.

"I promise."

"Good." Jax smiled as he took another sip of his coffee.

The couple sat in coffee house for the next few hours as they caught up with each other. It was mostly Jax, however, who did all the talking. During the short time she had been away from home, he had almost forgotten Jolene's interrogation skills while carrying on a conversation. Firing away questions at Jax about her Dad, Uncle Elvis, Gemma, Donna, Opie and all the brothers, she said a whole lot without saying anything at all. Jax tried to smother the niggling feeling in the pit of his stomach and continued answering her questions by painting a colorful picture for her of everything going on back home, including sharing some pictures he had on his pre-pay.

She even got him talking more about himself than he would usually do with anyone else, and he realized how much he really missed their talks. Jolene got super excited when Jax revealed that he was sponsoring one of the young mechanics Jolene had worked with once or twice before leaving. A young kid from New York who called himself Juice. He had moments of pure stupidity as well as some flashes of brilliance. He was a computer genius and a hacker, something the Club might have a use for in the future.

But as soon as Jax tried to make Jolene the focus of the conversation, she would either clam up or find a way to divert his attention. Instead of sharing anything about herself and her home life with the egg donor, Jolene managed to deflect the conversation back on Jax or the rest of her SAMCRO family. Jax was about to demand that she stop dodging his questions when they were interrupted.

A small plate containing what appeared to be a large blueberry and cream cheese Danish was placed in front of Jolene. Looking up, Jax was astonished to see yet another employee of the coffee shop. This time it was a tall, dark, handsome, and overly confident guy who appeared to be college-age.

"Hey, Jo. I saw that this was one of the last ones we had left, so I put it away for you. I know it's your favorite." The young man smiled engagingly at Jax's stepsister and completely ignored him. What really burned Jax, though, was the slightly flirty smile that Jolene was giving him right back.

"Aww, Brandon, that was really sweet of you. You didn't have to go to all the trouble." She was beaming at the young man with long dark hair pulled into a low ponytail and amber-colored eyes.

"No trouble at all." Winking at Jolene, the man sauntered off behind the counter.

Jolene watched him leave, a slight smile still on her face before reaching over and breaking off a corner of the rich pastry. Raising it to her parted lips, her eyes widened as she noted that the angry, hotheaded biker had reemerged.

 _If that isn't the green-eyed monster staring daggers at me, I don't know who it is_ , Jolene thought in wonderment.

Deciding to take the bull by the horns, Jolene put the pastry down on the plate, but slowly licked the icing off of her fingers. Seeing the sudden warm glow in Jax's eyes as he watched her, Jolene thought to herself, _that's the green light I've been waiting for, baby. Let's do this!_

"So what's wrong now?" Jolene rested her chin in her hands as she smiled at her stepbrother. No answer. Just angry, flared-nostril staring. "What, cat got your tongue?"

"No fuckin' cat's got my tongue, Jo. What's wrong is I don't remember you ever being such a flirt. You are a long way from home, darlin', and with no one to protect you around here, flirting with these douche bags can bring a whole lot of problems you might not be able to deal with on your own."

Jolene almost laughed out loud because God only knew she had never, _ever_ flirted with any of the egg donor's douche bag friends, yet she had to barricade herself in her room at night.

"Not everybody is a serial rapist, Jax." Jolene replied, sincerely hoping she was right. "Besides, I didn't think I was flirting. However, I'm sure you'll agree that flirting's a skill every girl should perfect, right? If she doesn't flirt, how will a man ever know she's interested? Now that you're here," Jolene said coyly. "I couldn't ask for a better teacher, so why don't you school me?"

Suddenly, Jax flashed the patented Teller smile at her. It was more than a little daunting to be on the receiving end of that sexy grin. "Darlin', you really have no idea what you're asking for. You shouldn't play with fire, Jo 'cause you might just get burned."

"You think I don't know that? You know me, Jax. I'm always looking for ways to stay warm." Jolene teased, her green eyes twinkling. She was determined to give back as good as she got. "Besides, let's face it. We are so beyond playing games and you're not fooling anyone but yourself. You're just in denial because, by now, I know you know, Jackson."

Jax's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Know what?" He challenged.

"Do I really have to spell it out for you? We've been dancing around each other for a long time now." Jolene replied boldly. "You know as well as I do that we're meant for each other." She smiled as Jax's eyes widened.

The steady stream of rain pelting the window behind him was mimicking the steady, yet rapid beating of his heart. As Jax looked at the beautiful and determined young woman sitting across from him, he realized that the elephant in the room that had always been present whenever they were together, especially since Jolene had started puberty, had finally decided to speak up.

Jax had always known how Jolene felt about him. In fact, he could probably pinpoint the exact moment when her feelings of friendship had turned into puppy love. While some may blame him for never discouraging her, Jax had always tried to respect the boundaries between them. Granted, he may have slipped once or twice, Jax admitted to himself as he thought about a couple of midnight visits to Jolene's bedroom, but he had always kept things above board. Although they had always had a strong bond and connection, Jax suddenly realized that, shortly before Jolene left Charming, his brotherly affection had slowly turned down the forbidden road of sexual attraction. Now, with Jolene's feelings refusing to be denied any longer, out of the love and respect he had for her and for his Club President, Jax moved quickly to try to nip the discussion in the bud.

"Darlin'," Jax replied gently. "I know how you feel about me, but what you want can never happen between us. My mother is married to your father, your father is my Club President, and not only are you four years younger, you're jailbait. Most important, I love and respect you like a sister, nothing more."

Unfortunately for him, Jolene wasn't buying what he was selling. Boldly reaching out, Jolene used a long, slim finger to stroke a stray lock of hair that fell over his forehead before tucking it behind his ear. Slowly caressing his cheek, Jolene let her hand skim his face, letting her fingers glide down to the tip of his goatee, her wide green eyes never leaving his intense blue ones.

Jax almost shivered as he literally felt the shock of electricity in Jolene's touch as she caressed him. Even worse than loving the feel of her skin on his was coming to the shocking realization that he was semi-hard. A slight touch and a look, that was all it took for her to get him going.

_What the fuck?_

Not realizing the feelings she was evoking in her stepbrother, Jolene decided to address Jax's assessment of their relationship and his feelings about her. Later on, when she was back in the privacy of her tiny bedroom, Jolene would cringe with embarrassment that she had been so bold, but in that moment, she was determined to be heard.

"Jackson, don't you think it's time to look past all the extraneous bullshit and be real about your feelings? Baby," Jolene started, noticing Jax's eyes darken at the term of endearment. "You didn't come all the way to Seattle to see me just because you wanted to check on your 'stepsister'. You came here because you _wanted_ to see me. There is something within you, something that recognizes that there is something more between us than just being good friends or family. The simple fact of the matter is you know as well as I do that I've always been the one for you. All you had to do was wait for me to grow up." She smiled.

Jolene stood up, noting that the rain had finally stopped. Looking out the rain-spattered window and in between several tall buildings, she spotted a bright, beautiful rainbow.

_Somehow, that makes me feel like everything is going to be all right._

"I realize it's a lot to process right now, especially since you're still in denial. Obviously, you're not quite ready to accept what your heart already knows, but I've been waiting forever for you to get your head out of your ass and I guess I can wait a little while longer." Winking at the somewhat shell-shocked young biker, Jolene grabbed her messenger bag. "I better go. I'll catch the bus because it's not a good idea for you to take me home." With her heart literally knocking against her chest, Jolene took another huge chance. Bending over, with her hand on his cheek, she dropped a slightly lingering kiss on Jax's lips before heading towards the exit.

* * *

Jolene was sitting on the floor of her bedroom, cradling her aching head in her hands, one of which was wrapped in a bloodied piece of her t-shirt, as she rocked back and forth.

"What would Gemma do? What would Gemma do? What would Gemma do?" Jolene had been repeating the same mantra for the last fifteen minutes as she could hear Valentina's boyfriend hurling obscenities at her. If he survived, he was yelling, he was going to gut her, hack her to pieces, and feed her to his fuckin' pitbulls.

Lifting her head up, Jolene was grateful that her nose had stopped bleeding. For a while there, she was convinced that Pretty Ricky had broken it. Looking down at her torn, tattered, and bloodied clothes, Jolene felt a wave of shame wash over her, nauseating her to the pit of her stomach.

_What would Gemma do?_

_She certainly wouldn't be bawling her eyes out like some punk bitch, that's for damn sure_ , Jolene thought bitterly. _She would probably go back to the living room and finish him off_.

Pulling herself up onto her bare feet, Jolene stood in front of her full length mirror and finally got a good look at herself. The son of a bitch had managed to rip her leggings off, leaving long and angry scrapes where his nails had raked along her thighs and legs. He had tried to pull down her panties, but Jolene had fought back like an animal, throwing and connecting several well-placed punches until he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his fist wrapped in a set of brass knuckles. With her adrenaline pumping, Jolene hardly felt the first blow to strike her across the face, landing on her cheek and ending up on the side of her nose. She immediately felt the blood oozing out of both nostrils.

Struggling and fighting with all her might, Jolene prevented Pretty Ricky from striking her again because she knew another blow like the first would probably knock her out. She shuddered to think what would have happened if he had succeeded in rendering her unconscious.

Somehow, Jolene had managed to grab hold of the hand holding the brass knuckles and bit his wrist as hard as she could, drawing blood and causing Pretty Ricky to scream out before he slapped her hard across the face with this free hand. But he let her go and that's all she needed.

Jolene managed to kick her way up off the floor, but he grabbed her by the back of her t-shirt, tearing it while managing to rip the hooks on her bra, leaving her partially exposed. All the while, Jolene didn't remember screaming for help because she knew no one would come, but she did remember begging him to leave her alone. He wasn't listening though. All he kept repeating was that Valentina had fought him too, and now she couldn't live without him. He would break her just like he had broken her mother. There was money to be made in peddling brand new pussy, but first, he had to sample the merchandise.

Jolene remembered thinking that the only way that would happen was over her dead fuckin' body. Pulling herself out of his grip again, Pretty Ricky practically jumped up off the floor and tackled Jolene, bringing her down hard as he knocked several framed photos off the wall, shattering glass raining down on a prone Jolene. Once he had her on the floor again, Pretty Ricky straddled her hips and wrestled her until he managed to force her onto her back.

If Jolene lived to be a thousand years old, she would never forget the look of sick, twisted victory plastered on his face as he cupped her face with one hand while grabbing a fistful of long black hair and wrapping it around the fist of the other.

"Now it's time to party, baby." He was breathing heavily. "You stop fighting and I won't have to cut that pretty little face of yours." Shifting his weight onto his knees as he unbuttoned his jeans, Jolene took the opportunity to grab a shard of glass from one of the picture frames on the floor next to her and rammed it into the meaty part of his inner thigh. She sliced the palm of her hand, but with Pretty Ricky wailing like a wounded seal as his thigh started pumping blood like a geyser, she freed one of her legs. Bracing her foot against his chest, Jolene pushed and he fell onto his back. Realizing that she must have hit the main artery running through his leg, she scrambled to her feet and ran to her room. If she was lucky, the bastard would bleed to death in a matter of minutes.

"Hija de puta! Come back here!" He was screaming. "I'm gonna bleed out. Help me, puta sucia!"

That had been about twenty minutes ago and Pretty Ricky was still wailing, which meant he probably wasn't bleeding out. Jolene realized that she needed to get out and fast. Valentina had left early in the morning to take one of her junkie friends to the emergency room after she started complaining about chest pains and would be back any time now.

Grabbing the box of baby wipes she kept on her dresser, Jolene wiped away any traces of blood on her hands, arms, face, and body. She quickly stripped out of what was left of her clothes and threw on a clean bra and panty set, followed by a pair of dark wash jean, a fitted tee and her denim jacket. Getting on her hands and knees, Jolene searched the back of her small closet for her coffee can of money and stuffed a wad of bills into her purse along with her wallet and her pre-pay and charger. Jolene was sitting on the edge of her bed lacing up her steel-toed boots when she heard the front door open. Realizing that Valentina was home, Pretty Ricky picked his wailing up a notch or two.

"Baby, hurry! Help me! Your bitch daughter tried to kill me!" Jolene could hear him crying as Valentina let out a screech as she caught sight of the virtual blood bath in the living room.

Jolene jumped to her feet in time to throw on the padlock as Valentina started pounding on her bedroom door.

"Open up, you fucking dirty whore!" She was screaming at Jolene through the wooden door. "Open this goddamn door! I'm gonna kill you, you little bitch. You think I don't know that he's been sneaking into your room at night? Open up!"

Jolene pulled her hair back into a ponytail, draped her cross-body bag over her shoulder, and opened the window above her bed. Climbing onto the fire escape, Jolene gingerly made her way down three flights, before letting herself fall onto her feet in the alley. Running towards the street, Jolene turned left and ran, never once looking back.

* * *

Sitting in his customary chair at the head of the Redwood table, Clay was sitting alone working out a new transport route for the Club's next shipment of guns to Eureka. Unser had gotten word to him that the state troopers would be out and about on the highway to Eureka and although they were traveling under the cover of a charity drive, Clay wanted to take no chances and decided that they should find an alternate route.

Wearing a new pair of bifocals, which Gemma had nagged him into getting and which he refused to wear in public, Clay consulted several maps, painfully and meticulously transferring his notes and observations onto a yellow legal pad. Normally, Big Otto would be doing this tedious crap, but he was running late overseeing the assembly of the merch up at Bluebird, so Clay decided to get a head start by himself. Since Otto had been running the show on the shipment, from receipt of the merch from the Irish and the assembly and delivery of same to its final destination, Clay figured that he could handle the routes on his own.

It was a Thursday afternoon and the Clubhouse had been eerily silent that day. Clay was to remember that afterward. In hindsight, it was that strange eerie feeling in the air that hinted that a change was gonna come.

Clay put his pen down, removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes wearily. The simple fact was that life had not been the same for him ever since his baby girl had left Charming.

_I don't know how I thought that this shit would get easier._

To say that Jolene's leaving had left an empty feeling in his heart was not an exaggeration.

The terms of Jolene's 18-month probation required that she complete 400 hours of community service and a 4-week anger management program. It could have been a lot worse. Because the Lodi incident was the first time Jolene had faced off against the long arm of the law, she had been cut a break, and had narrowly avoided being sent to the Lodi Juvenile Detention Center to serve out her full sentence as a guest of the State of California.

But six months into her probation period, her P.O., who had a real hard-on for Jolene's extended family, felt that removing her from the "cult" of white trash bikers could possibly "save" Jolene from the Life and, against Clay's wishes, recommended that the Juvenile Court place Jolene in the custody of her mother in Seattle.

It had been six months since Jolene had been tearfully torn away from her family and it still felt like yesterday. With another six months left until her probation ended, his baby girl was condemned to spend the rest of that time with her piece of shit egg donor. In hindsight, Clay realized that Jolene might have been better off in juvie.

Clay could set his watch by his daughter's weekly phone calls home when she had first relocated to Seattle, but as the weeks and then months went by, the calls became less and less frequent. There was a distinct feeling of reserve that was building up between him and his daughter. He couldn't understand it, didn't know how to get past the barriers that she had erected, and prayed that these barriers would not be a permanent fixture between them.

_I just wanna talk to my baby girl. Make sure she's alright._

Suddenly, Clay felt his pre-pay vibrating from the inside of his cut. Pulling it out, he smiled as he noted the incoming phone number.

_Speak of the devil._

Clay quickly answered the call. "Hey, baby girl, I was just thinking about you."

The line was so quiet Clay initially thought that he had lost the call. Then he heard a faint voice.

" _Daddy?"_

Clay's heart immediately leapt in his chest. Like an animal who can tell how its cub is feeling by the tone of its cry, he quickly realized something was wrong.

"Baby girl, what's wrong? Tell me." He commanded brusquely.

" _Please, daddy, I want to come home. Can I come home, please?"_

Clay didn't think about the custody order. He didn't think about the problems he could possibly face once Family Court caught wind. He simply didn't give a rat's skinny ass.

"Of course you can come home," He reassured her. "I'll get Gemma to buy you a ticket right now. Jolene, where are you?"

He heard her sniff and knew she was crying and it near broke his heart. " _I'm already at the airport._ "

"Okay, stay on the phone."

Trying to remain calm, he gripped the phone in one hand as he jumped up from his chair, knocking it to the floor in his haste. Striding towards the Chapel doors he threw one of them open. Pointing at the new Prospect, a goofy looking young man with a Mohawk standing behind the bar, Clay ordered. "You, go get my wife! Right now!" He barked.

Not bothering to see whether his order had been obeyed, Clay returned to the Chapel and slammed the door behind him.

"Baby girl, you need to tell me what's going on."

" _I just need to come home, Dad."_

"Do you trust me?"

In his mind's eye, Clay could see her nod. " _You know I do."_

"Then talk to me." He pleaded.

Slow at first, and then faster as the words tumbled over one another, Jolene finally broke down the barriers she had erected and told her father about her living nightmare since returning to her birth mother.

* * *

_That bitch is DEAD!_

Clay had known that it had been a bad idea for Jolene to go to Valentina. He had tried to find a work around to dissuade the Family Court from issuing the order, but was unsuccessful.

 _I should have tried harder,_ Clay thought with remorse.

For his daughter to have spent the last six months struggling to survive a living nightmare in that hell hole was tearing him up inside. Not telling him out of some misguided need to protect him because she feared he would do something to her whore of a mother and jeopardize his own freedom was unbelievably painful for him.

Taking a moment between hearing Jolene's revelations, he jotted a quick note to Gemma on the pad on the Redwood table asking her to go back to the T-M office and purchase a ticket for Jolene on the next flight into Oakland International Airport.

Clay looked up as Gemma reentered the Chapel with Jolene's itinerary. Literally snatching the paper out of her hand, he quickly put on his glasses.

"Okay, honey. Gemma's got you on the 2:30 flight on American Airlines, Flight 1791. I don't want you to worry, okay?"

" _But what about McAllister?"_

"Look, we'll worry about your P.O. later. Right now, your safety is what is important."

Clay looked down at his right hand and winced as pain shot through it as he flexed it. "Now, I wish I could come get you myself, but my hands are acting up on me today and Bobby's in Tahoe working a gig." Looking at his wife, Clay continued. "I'm going to have Opie and Jax come and get you, all right? You just wait at the baggage claim entrance and they'll pick you up."

Gemma quickly left the Chapel to track Opie and Jax down. Opie was working in the garage. Jax, she knew, was probably at his home away from home, Cara Cara.

" _Dad, you won't tell—"_

"No, baby girl. I promise. Not a word." Clay assured her. "Now go get yourself to the American Airlines terminal, okay?"

" _Okay. I love you, Daddy."_

"I love you, too, baby girl."

Clay hung up the call and shoved his pre-pay into the pocket of his cut. Suddenly, he slammed both fists onto the Redwood table.

"That fuckin' cunt of a whore is going to pay! It's going to be bloody and painful and still too fuckin' humane for that cum-guzzling dried up pussy!" Clay raged.

Valentina Robles was going to rue the day her mother pushed her out.


	4. Beaten But Never Broken

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.**

* * *

Placing her handbag on the counter, Jolene let the motion-activated soap dispenser spew pink liquid into her palm. Briefly wetting one hand under the motion-activated tap in the sink, Jolene rubbed her hands together until they formed a white foamy lather. Looking at herself in the mirror over the sink as she rinsed, Jolene was hesitant to check and see what was underneath the huge, Jackie O-style sunglasses she had bought at the gift shop of the Seattle-Tacoma airport.

Maybe coming straight home wasn't such a good idea after all. Jolene shook her head as she grabbed a couple of brown paper towels and dried her hands. What she should have done was call Ronnie in Redmond and ask if she could stay with her for a couple of days, or at least until her bruising disappeared. When she had boarded her flight to California, Jolene had removed her jacket only to discover finger-shaped bruising on her biceps and forearms. She quickly slipped into her jacket again and made sure to keep her sunglasses on during the entire flight as well. Last thing she needed was to raise suspicions among the flight crew.

Quickly pulling off the sunglasses, Jolene heard a slight intake of breath from an older woman standing to her right who was also washing up after using the bathroom.

_Oh, shit. How am I gonna explain this to my family?_

"Oh my goodness, dear. Are you okay?" The kindly stranger with the hips of a Midwest matron inquired.

Jolene stared at her reflection in the mirror, not recognizing the face staring back. There was an angry and violent-looking black and blue bruise starting at the corner of her left eye and running down her cheek and up to the side of her nose.

Jolene nodded, giving the grayed-haired woman a tight smile as she pulled from her bag a bottle of concealer she had bought at the same gift shop as the sunglasses.

"I'm fine, thanks. I took an elbow to the face trying to spike a volleyball in gym class." It wasn't a complete lie. Jolene _had_ taken an elbow to the face a couple of weeks ago, but the bruising hadn't been anywhere near as bad as this.

The stranger looked at Jolene skeptically as she dried her hands and quickly left the ladies room.

Jolene wasn't overly optimistic that the make up could do much to cover the hideous mark on her face, but she had to try something. Her father had said he was sending Opie _and_ Jax for her. The thought of seeing Jax for the first time in months away from the prying eyes at the Clubhouse, with the exception of Sasquatch, of course, excited her. After their final exchange at the coffee shop, Jolene was afraid that she had gone too far in her attempt to convince Jax to open his eyes. With each week that passed, and finally months, Jolene came to the disheartening conclusion that she had indeed gone too far. She had spent her time in school daydreaming that she would walk out of the building at the end of the day to find him standing there, waiting for her, but Jax never returned.

After what had happened earlier today, all Jolene could think about was getting as far away from Seattle as possible and back into the arms of her loving family. But once on the airplane, finally away from the egg donor and her group of fucked-up friends, all she could think about was her first meeting with the love of her life.

Jolene only hoped that he was as excited to see her as she was to see him. There was only so much pain that a girl should have to endure in one day.

And thanks to Pretty Ricky, she had enough pain to last a lifetime.

* * *

" _. . . Baby, you didn't come all the way to Seattle to see me just because you wanted to check on your 'stepsister'. You came here because you wanted to see me."_

As hard as he tried—and he had tried with every willing croweater and porn star he could get his hands on—Jax couldn't get those words spoken to him on a rainy afternoon almost three months ago out of his mind. If he closed his eyes, he could still feel the warm caress of her hand against his cheek. No other woman had ever touched him like that, provoking an almost immediate tightening of his jeans against his throbbing crotch.

_No one. Not even Tara._

Jax loved women and women definitely loved him back, but when it came to his interactions with the opposite sex, he was used to being the one in control. At 21, Jax didn't know what it was like to be rejected by a woman. If he set his sights on someone, they might as well just drop their panties where they stood because it was inevitable, whether they regretted it later or not. Even when he was the target of the hunt, Jax always managed to maintain control by letting them think _they_ were in control because, even though Jax loved pussy, he sure as hell wasn't controlled by it.

 _Tara learned that lesson the hard way_.

As Jolene walked out of the coffee shop, it took Jax a full minute to realize that she had been right. He had indeed been in pursuit of his stepsister, but Jolene had been the one in control all along. She had him chasing after her and, unlike the women he would bang and discard, not for the obvious reasons either.

 _Well, not entirely for the obvious reasons_.

Jax could no longer lie to himself. He wanted to know what it felt like to press his naked flesh against hers because even though the act of getting naked and in between the sheets with a woman wasn't a new experience for him, he knew making love to Jolene Morrow would be. In the last few months before she had left Charming, Jax hated himself for it, but he recognized that his feelings for her had become complicated.

No, it wasn't just sex Jax was after. He had violated the Family Court's order to stay away because he couldn't. He could no longer stay away from her because he missed her. He missed talking with her, sharing shit he never even shared with his own best friend. He missed her infectious laughter and how, if caught off-guard by something that truly tickled her funny bone, she would forget herself and suddenly snort. He missed how smart—and what a smartass—she was. But most of all, he missed holding her the way he had on those nights he had snuck into her bedroom. Being with her didn't feel complicated then. Not at all.

Although Jax could barely remember the incident in Lodi that led to Jolene's troubles, he had total recall of a conversation he had had with some blonde bimbo at Uncle Buck's that night. Any other man would not have had a snowball's chance in hell of getting laid by the woman he had spent half the night blubbering to about another woman back home. But Jax knew that had he not caught the stupid woman on the phone with Jolene—calling her a heartless bitch when poor Jolene had no clue her feelings were reciprocated—he would have ended up leaving the bar with whatever-her-name-was. If he had, Jolene would have never been forced to leave Charming.

Jolene had been in Seattle a total of six months and the last time Jax had seen her three months ago, he had noticed some changes in her. He couldn't help but wonder what other changes she had been hiding underneath her hoodie and pea coat. But more importantly, Jax realized, she had been hiding something from him, he was sure of it. Jax couldn't help but wonder, whatever that something had been, was that the reason she was coming back home ahead of schedule? He hoped not because he would never be able to forgive himself for not pressing her harder. Whatever the reason was for her coming back home wasn't what was important. All that mattered to Jax was that she was coming back.

 _Jesus Christ, what's wrong with me? I get hard just thinking about_ her, Jax grimaced to himself when he thought of her lips on his as she dropped that kiss on him in the coffeehouse. _Fuck!_

Shit was about to get complicated again and, to his total lack of surprise, Jax realized that he wouldn't have it any other way.

So lost in his thoughts, Jax didn't notice that Opie had been trying to engage him in conversation for the past two exits. Having to resort to snapping his fingers mere inches from his brother's face in order to get his attention, Opie smirked.

"Earth to Jax, come in Jax." Opie teased. "You know, you didn't have to come with me." He said, thinking his best friend was brooding over his interrupted afternoon of delight at Cara Cara.

Slowly emerging from the Jolene-induced fog enveloping the usually cool and clear-minded biker, Jax focused on listening to Opie, the meaning of his statement taking a little longer than usual to register.

"Oh, nah, man." Jax waved away the thought of Cara Cara trumping being one of the first to see Jolene back home as ridiculous. "I'm just thinking about Jo."

The two Sons were in Piney's pick-up truck on their way to the airport to meet their favorite grease monkey and bring her back to Charming.

"Shit, Jax. What do you think happened up there?" Opie lit a cigarette one-handed, the other hand on the steering wheel.

Jax shook his head solemnly, catching the pack of smokes Opie tossed in his direction. "I don't know bro, but it had to be pretty serious for Clay to go against a court order."

"It must be, especially since he made it quite clear that we not question her about it." Opie added.

Jax shook his head as he blew smoke out the open passenger side window. "You know, Jo. She'll talk to us."

Opie shook his head and laughed. "Nah, she'll talk to _you_ about it. Me, not so much. You two got that weird shit going on. Ever since we were kids, you two act like you were married in another life." Jax shot his best friend a shocked look. "You know what I mean, you'll know what each other is thinking before the other one says anything. She nags you to death and you let her. It's scary, actually. You're pussy-whipped, without the pussy." Opie snarked.

Pulling into Oakland International, Opie parked the truck in the closest lot to the American Airlines terminal. Jax noted the time on his pre-pay and realized that Jolene's plane should have already landed as he and Opie headed over to the baggage claim area.

Walking into the terminal, Jax did a once-over of the crowd of recently deplaned passengers and, not spotting Jolene, decided to wait for her outside in order to enjoy the unusually warm sunshine.

Leaning against a column, Jax lit a cigarette as he watched the people streaming out of the exit. Many were greeted by either friends or relatives, while others headed straight for the taxi stand or long term parking.

His thoughts wandering once again to Jolene, he didn't even realize it was her when he finally saw her.

* * *

Jax almost did a double take as, through the haze of the blue smoke from his cigarette, he caught sight of one of God's most beautiful creations.

Jax, a lover of the female form, did not discriminate. He loved women, any color, shape, size, and age. There was always something beautiful to appreciate about a woman, no matter what society dictated. If he had to choose a favorite, though, a specific type he wouldn't mind keeping on the menu indefinitely, it would have to be the vision standing a short distance from him outside baggage claim.

With her back to him, Jax noted that the woman had a serious pair of legs, which seemed to stretch a mile-long, encased in a skin tight pair of dark wash denim jeans. But nothing, Jax was forced to bite his lip as his eyes raked over her, _nothing_ compared to the tight and curvy ass that flawlessly filled out those painted on jeans.

As conflicted as he was about his feelings for Jolene, Jax was glad that Opie had gone inside to wait for her. This gave him time to contemplate if he should walk over and flash the future Mrs. Teller with his patented lady killer smile. Suddenly, the young woman turned to face him, the light breeze blowing her long dark hair seductively around her face and her eyes hidden by a massive pair of sunglasses.

Now, Jax had always considered himself to be an ass man, but the Double-D rack currently stuffed into the fitted t-shirt she was wearing was definitely calling him by name. Shit, what he wouldn't give to be able to drown in the perfection of those tits!

Flicking his cigarette away, Jax was about to swagger his way over to her when she released what could only be described as an eardrum-piercing squeal. Jax stopped dead in his tracks as the gorgeous young woman barreled towards him. His eyes widened in happy shock as the girl slammed into him full force and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Thinking how lucky was he to have perfect—and hot—strangers jumping his ass, Jax almost dropped the petite woman in his arms when he heard her speak.

"Oh my God, Jackson! I've missed you so much!" He could hear the tears in her voice. "I'm so glad to be home."

_Holy Shit!_

"Jo?" Jax barely whispered against her ear as she vigorously nodded her head.

Balling her little fists in his hair, she pulled his head back so they were face-to-face. For a brief moment, Jax's world literally spun on its axis as she removed her sunglasses. He actually felt his heart skip a beat as he realized that the grease monkey tomboy he had known for over ten years was gone and in her place, and in his arms, was a beautiful and sexy young woman.

Jax couldn't contain the lovestruck grin that plastered itself on his face as he took her in, the wide green eyes that she had finally grown into, rounded and high cheekbones, full pink lips, and a small pert nose. With her mass of curls whipping wildly in the late-fall breeze and her tits practically shoved into his face, Jolene Morrow looked every inch of a full grown woman.

As Jax continued to stare at Jolene, her lips began to quiver with excitement. "Not what you were expecting, huh?" She smiled.

"No." Jax said simply, his eyes drawn to the affection and joy he saw in hers as he desperately tried to avoid stealing glances at the cleavage mere inches from his face and failing miserably.

 _I think he's been blinded by my boobs_ , Jolene thought gleefully.

Jolene almost laughed out loud as she ran her hands through his hair, the sensation forcing Jax to close his eyes briefly as she cupped his scruffy face. If it wasn't for the electricity her gentle caresses were shooting through his body, he would have convinced himself he was dreaming. Somewhat recovered from the shock that the girl he had been longing for going on months now and the one he had spent the last five minutes lusting after were one and the same, Jax suddenly opened his eyes.

That was the moment that the swelling and barely-concealed bruises on her beautiful face finally registered with Jax.

He found himself seething with anger before he could get the words out. Bringing his hand up to gently touch her face, Jax asked through a clenched jaw, "Who did this to you?"

Jolene shook her head slightly. "Not now, Jax. Please."

Jax swallowed the lump in his throat as he realized that the reason for her flight back to Charming was written all over her face. His heart was breaking for her as every nerve in his body demanded that he kill the son of a bitch responsible.

"Just give me a name, darlin' and I'll take care of it." Jax almost whispered as Jolene leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Jax closed his eyes again, the urge to take control and smother her with his mouth almost overwhelming him.

Slowly letting herself relax so that her legs slid down the side of Jax's body until her feet were once again planted on terra firma, Jolene slipped her sunglasses back on. Sensing a shift in the atmosphere around them, Jolene thankfully realized that they were no longer alone.

Turning away from Jax, Jolene could barely contain herself, squealing happily as she saw her brother from another mother. "Opie!" She practically ran and threw her arms around the mammoth biker.

Barely managing to recover from his shock, Opie hugged her within an inch of her life as she reached up and planted a kiss on his hairy cheek. "What the hell happened to you? I barely recognized you!" He blurted, smiling like an idiot as he shot Jax an incredulous look over her head that screamed, _What the_ fuck!

Pulling away, Jolene laughed. "I grew up, asshole! You know, like most teenagers do."

Turning to Jax, Jolene was slightly unnerved by the way he was looking at her. He wanted answers, she could tell, but she wasn't prepared to give him any, or to anyone else for that matter. Quickly turning on the chatter, Jolene bombarded Opie with questions about Piney and Donna and, even though he knew she was employing her tried and true method of avoiding direct questioning, Jax was glad that the two were talking as it gave him a minute to gather his composure.

Jax would only respect Clay's direct order not to question Jolene because Opie was with them and his best friend was right. Although Jolene did love him like a brother, she wasn't as candid and open with Opie as she was with him.

Somehow, Jax was determined to get six months of truths out of one Jolene Morrow.

* * *

For once, just once, Clay would like to place a call to his attorney and have the son of a bitch drop everything and hightail his ass to Charming ASAP. No questions asked. No fucking excuses. He kept the man on a retainer for a reason, didn't he?

 _Scott Rosen may be the best well-connected defense attorney in NorCal, but with one call I can make his life a living hell_.

"Relax, Clay." Big Otto said from the bar as his President continued pacing around the pool table. "Rosen said he'd be here as soon as he got out of court. He's two towns over."

Stopping in mid-stride, Clay realized that he had just spoken out loud.

"The Kid's not even here yet," Piney groused. "So relax and have a drink, will ya?"

Clay pointed a finger at his former sponsor and his VP menacingly. "Next dickhead that tells me to relax is gonna be picking parts of his colon out of his teeth after I shove my foot up his ass."

Suddenly, Tig poked his head through the Clubhouse door and knocked on the wall to get Clay's attention. "You can relax now, brother—what?" He looked confused as Clay glared at him. "Looks like Doll Face is pulling in."

Leading the charge out of the Clubhouse, Clay practically pushed his SAA aside as he headed out to the lot. Clay had closed the garage early, sending all of his mechanics home, as well as all sweetbutts and croweaters. Only a few of his SAMCRO brothers, including Chibs and Bobby, and his old lady and Luann were allowed to remain. Until he had a plan in place to deal with Family Court, Jolene's sudden return to Charming was on a need-to-know basis only. Considering the circumstances of his baby girl's flight from Seattle, it was unlikely that Valentina would report her as a runaway, which bought him some time, but not much.

It was close to dusk by the time the truck pulled into the T-M lot. Jolene had spent most of the 1½ hour drive from the airport chattering up a storm as she snuggled in between Opie and Jax. As Jax expected, Jolene managed to avoid all questions about Seattle, her mother, and why she would violate her probation by coming back to Charming six months ahead of schedule.

After their initial meet at the airport, Jolene had made sure to keep her sunglasses on. As a result, Opie was clueless as to the bruises on her face, but Jax knew they were there. He also knew that Valentina hadn't been the one to put them there either. Jax had witnessed a lot of fights in his lifetime and had participated in his fair share. He was by no means an expert, but he knew the kind of damage getting hit in the face bare-fisted could cause. Jolene had been hit in the face with a blunt object with enough force to keep it swollen hours after the fact. She had to be in pain. Yet, here she was, so obviously happy to be home, laughing with Opie as he filled her in on Tig's latest exploits involving a now-former girlfriend and her now-dead cat.

As they got closer to Charming, however, Jolene became a little more subdued. As excited as she was to be home, Jolene knew there were going to be questions asked she wasn't prepared to answer and a whole new set of problems that could add even more time to her original sentence. She could quite possibly end up doing that time in lock up.

Seeing the gates of the open entrance to the lot, Jolene fondly remembered that her first homecoming had been on a day much like this one. As they pulled in, the first thing she noticed was that the garage was closed. Without the usual weekday afternoon activity, the home as she remembered it resembled a ghost town. That is until Opie parked Piney's pickup right outside the Clubhouse and the small group that had gathered to welcome her home started whooping and whistling.

As the truck stopped, Jax jumped out of the passenger seat. Grabbing hold of her slim waist, his hands resting on her bare skin exposed by her low-riding jeans, he helped Jolene down from the pickup's cab. He turned and watched as his stepsister ran into the outstretched arms of her father.

"Dad!" Jolene cried out, wrapping her arms around her father's middle as he crushed her in his bear hug.

"Baby girl." Was all Clay could say as he dropped kisses on the top of her head.

Gemma, standing off to Clay's side with Bobby, smirked as he exclaimed under his breath, "Who the fuck is that and what the hell has she done with my Kit?"

"Looks like her egg donor's genes have finally kicked in." Gemma remarked. "You ready for that?"

Bobby looked at Gemma, wide-eyed and horrified. "I _know_ SAMCRO's not ready for that shit."

Gemma and Bobby weren't the only ones who had noticed the transformation. Tig nudged Chibs who was standing off to the side watching their President's unabashedly tearful reunion with his daughter.

"Damn, what the hell happened to Doll Face?" Tig exclaimed.

Chibs' eyes were also wide with shock. "Our 'lil luvvie grease monkey has finally grown up, brutha."

"Who said tequila shots don't do a body good?" Piney kidded, laughing heartily until he nearly choked and was forced by Opie to put his oxygen tubes back in.

Big Otto and Luann watched as Jolene hugged Gemma and finally fell into her Godfather's embrace as they waited their turn to welcome the SAMCRO Princess back home. Luann was discreetly wiping the tears from her eyes as Otto fixed his eyes on one Jackson Teller. Seeing what had to be dazed admiration on the young biker's face, Otto laughed quietly to himself, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

"Shit's about to get seriously twisted in Charming." He whispered to Luann.

"No shit!" Luann practically squealed. "Would you look at the tits and ass on baby girl?"

"I'd rather not, thank you very much." Shaking his head, Big Otto didn't remember 17 year old girls looking like that when he was that age.

"That is one seriously tight body." Luann surmised. Using her powers of observation honed over many years in the porn business, she had come to believe that a body like that could only be achieved with the help of plastic surgery. Damn, was she ever wrong. "That child is fucking gorgeous. Clay's gonna have his hands full now."

Otto chuckled. "Forget Clay. It's Jax I _almost_ feel sorry for."

The couple looked at each other and almost bent over double laughing. As they made their way over to Jolene, Big Otto stole one more look at an obviously awestruck Jax. Otto realized that things were about to change.

He just hoped everybody was ready for it.

* * *

Everyone followed as Clay ushered Jolene into the Clubhouse, his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders, when he felt his pre-pay vibrate in the pocket of his cut. Seeing Rosen's number, he dropped a quick kiss on his daughter's forehead.

"I have to take this, baby girl." He reluctantly released her into Bobby's waiting arms as he went into the Chapel.

Jolene rested her cheek on Bobby's chest as she looked up into his bearded face. "I thought you had a gig in Tahoe this weekend."

"I did," Bobby nodded. "But after Clay called to let me know you were leaving Seattle, I put a hurtin' on my Panhead trying to beat ya back to Charming. I couldn't miss welcoming my kitten home." He smiled.

Jax was standing behind the bar fixing himself a shot of Jack when Gemma approached Jolene and Bobby.

"Things didn't work out between you and Valentina?" Gemma questioned.

Jolene's back-stiffened as she pulled out of Bobby's embrace. Her father had promised that no one would question her regarding her sudden and unauthorized return to Charming.

"Let's just say we failed to bond." Jolene replied stiffly. Suddenly flinching as Gemma reached for her sunglasses, Jolene jumped, hitting her back on the edge of the bar. "What are you doing?"

Gemma crossed her arms over her chest. "It's almost sunset and I'm wondering why you're still wearing sunglasses and inside, no less."

Abruptly, all activity and chatter around the Main Room stopped, all eyes shifting to the now-opened Chapel doors.

"What the fuck, Gemma?" Clay bellowed as he stormed towards his old lady. Gemma stood her ground without flinching, one eyebrow raised in a perfect arch.

For the first time in the history of SAMCRO, Clay had called an emergency Church meeting earlier and required that the two most powerful old ladies in the Clubhouse, Gemma and Luann, attend. He had made it clear that under no circumstances was anyone to ask Jolene questions.

"Dad," Jolene stepped up to her father, standing between him and Gemma. "I wanna go home."

Clay looked at his daughter and he felt like punching a wall. He could guess what she was hiding under those sunglasses and goddamn Gemma for bringing attention to it.

"Rosen's on his way, sweetheart. Can it wait because I really want you sitting in on this meeting?" Clay said, his voice low.

Jolene shook her head slightly. As important as she knew this meeting with Rosen was, she wasn't ready to start coming up with lies to cover up the real reason she had for leaving Seattle.

"I can't right now, Daddy," Jolene replied, her voice barely audible. "You talk to Rosen, please. You know what happened. I wanna go home and freshen up, you know?" She asked, hopeful he would let her go to the house, a familiar and safe haven for her where she could take a scalding hot shower and wash away all traces of Pretty Ricky.

"Okay," Clay nodded. Finally understanding her need to feel clean again, he tenderly placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I'll have someone take you home."

"I'll do it." Gemma quickly offered, but stepped back as Clay glared at her with blazing eyes.

"No!" He replied, harsher than he had anticipated. "I need you to finish calling customers who were expecting to pick up their cars tomorrow morning, let them know we got a little backed up."

"The Prospect's in the office. He can take—," Gemma started to argue, but stopped as Clay pointed a finger in her face. Before he could unload on his old lady, Jax spoke up.

"I'll take her, Clay." He offered and Jolene suddenly felt her heart pounding in her chest double-time.

Clay was seeing red at the moment. There was just too much to deal with without Gemma fucking everything up with her constant need to know everybody's goddamned business! With his chest heaving slightly, Clay put his hand down, but his eyes spoke volumes to Gemma before he turned his attention to Jax.

"You do that, and don't leave her side until I get home." Clay said to Jax. Turning his attention to Jolene, he gave her a tight smile. "I'll get Rosen rolling on this and be home as soon as I can, okay, baby girl?"

Jolene nodded before quickly turning and leaving the Clubhouse, with Jax instantly falling into step behind her. Jax smirked to himself as he realized the sway of her hips had his eyes glued to her ass. Only slightly ashamed of himself, Jax decided he wouldn't mind always walking several steps behind her.

Gemma was right. The sun had set and Jolene started to feel stupid walking around in the near pitch darkness her sunglasses enveloped her in. Pulling them off and sliding them into the bag slung across her body, she stopped at Jax's bike and waited for him to catch up. Jax was pulling on his riding gloves as he approached Jolene who was busy examining the blacktop underneath her feet, her eyes downcast. Coming to a stop directly in front of her, Jax put his finger to her chin and gently nudged her face up until she was looking into his eyes. His jaw clenched at the sight of her banged up face.

He had noticed how Jolene had tensed up when Gemma started poking around. Although her back was turned to him at the time, he knew Jolene well enough to know that it was a good thing she had been wearing shades. She had probably flashed a murderous glare at Gemma that his mother would have interpreted as a challenge. Jolene was very much Clay's daughter and neither one responded well when backed into a corner. Like father, like daughter and Gemma was lucky Jolene had immense love and respect for her or she would have come out swinging. He had seen all that without having to look at her face.

"If you don't wanna talk to me about what happened, I promise I won't push." Jax started, his eyes searching hers until the intensity became too much for Jolene and she averted her eyes. "Look at me." He insisted. Jolene reluctantly brought her eyes back to his. "I'm here for you, Jo, whenever and however you need me. You know that, right?"

Jolene fought to control the tears threatening as they stung the back of her eyes. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she nodded. "I know."

Jax smiled tenderly. "Welcome home, darlin'. I'm glad you're back." Jolene felt herself melt into him as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. His arms instinctively wrapped themselves around her shoulders as hers snaked around his waist underneath his cut and hugged him tight.

After a full minute, Jax pulled away and handed her his helmet before climbing onto his bike. Waiting for her to slide on behind him, Jax pondered the fact that he somehow had expected her homecoming to be a time to celebrate, but instead she looked sadder and more miserable then on the day she had left Charming.

He had promised he wouldn't push, but the need to protect her and retaliate for whatever it was that she had endured overwhelmed Jax and Jolene could sense it. He was a sucker for a damsel in distress, but that's not how Jolene wanted things to play out between them. She wasn't Tara Knowles. She was destined to be his old lady, but first Jax had to see her as strong and capable of handling her own shit, not a broken doll in constant need of fixing.

Yeah, she was still shaken about Pretty Ricky, but the point was she had the stones to fight back and had kept the creep from getting what he wanted. Jolene was going to be just fine as soon as she knew she was in the clear with Family Court and allowed to stay in Charming with her family.

After that, all bets were off as far as Jax Teller was concerned. Now that she had his attention, Jolene had to make him see that she was more than capable of standing strong next to him like a good old lady should, not cowering behind him for protection. Part of that included keeping what had happened just between her and her father. Coming off as weak, which she wasn't, was bad enough, but being considered damaged goods, which she wasn't either, was far worse. Pretty Ricky had tried to ruin her and had probably bled to death for his efforts.

Jolene climbed on Jax's bike and wrapped her arms around him. Her palms flat against his chest, Jolene relished the feel of the warm, hard planes of his body under her touch.

Yeah, she was going to be just fine. Jax, on the other hand, had no clue what was about to hit him.

* * *

Clay sat on one of the sofas in his man cave smoking one of his favorite cigars. His meeting at the Clubhouse with Rosen had taken longer than he had anticipated, but at least Clay had walked out of the Chapel feeling like shit was gonna finally fall right side up. It had been an emotionally trying day, but it was such a relief to have his daughter back that it had him believing that everything would work itself out.

Clay had been as honest as he could with Rosen without mentioning Valentina's deviant boyfriend's attack on his baby girl, but he had made it clear that physical abuse had been part of the reason Jolene had fled from her mother's custody. Rosen believed that their best bet would be to report Jolene's flight from Seattle to her CPS case worker first. He even suggested taking Jolene to the hospital for a proper work up so that they would have documented proof of the abuse. Clay was inclined to do as he said, but he still hadn't gotten the whole story from Jolene. Clay was unsure just how far the bastard had gotten in his attack and the last thing he wanted was documented proof that his baby girl had been raped.

The mere thought of that being a possibility forced Clay back into his black mood. He would have to kill the piece of shit himself, making sure Valentina watched before wrapping his pain-riddled hands around her neck and squeezing the life out of her. The thought that Jolene had suffered some serious abuse at the hands of her waste of space egg donor and her dead man walking boyfriend worried Clay that Jolene's six months in Seattle would be something she might not be able to recover from. The chance of that being the case would send Clay on a one-man murder spree, making sure to take out that butch probation officer and the head up his ass Family Court judge first before heading up north.

Until Clay had a handle on how to deal with the situation, he had issued a gag order, effective immediately. No one was to discuss with any outsider that Jolene had returned home. She would be kept in lockdown at the house until Rosen and Clay could figure out a way around the court order that was currently in place. Rosen had suggested that one step in the right direction would be if Valentina gave up custody of Jolene. Clay hadn't said so, but that was definitely something that he could arrange.

For now, Clay was sitting in his man cave, waiting patiently for his daughter to come to him. It was what some people might call a tradition between them. Whenever Jolene had something important to share or something was bothering her, something that frightened her, it was usually here where Jolene would seek him out and they would talk about it.

The smile on Clay's face was a little wistful as just then he heard a small sound. Turning slightly, he could see his daughter standing in the doorway. Wearing an oversized, sweatshirt-styled nightgown to protect her from the cold, Jolene was practically lost in the folds of the material.

His little girl walked towards him, her sleeve-covered hand hovering over her left cheek, and without a word climbed into his lap. Wrapping his beefy arms around her, Clay's smile broadened as he realized that she had actually sprouted a few inches.

For a long time they just sat together, neither of them speaking as Jolene clung to her father. She never felt safer than when in his arms. Jolene let out a soft sigh and Clay looked down at his daughter snuggled in his arms, the slight smile of contentment falling off his face as his heart turned to ice in his chest. Bringing his roughened hand to the delicate skin of her cheek, Clay let his thumb gently graze the ugly purple bruise on her face. Clay took a deep breath as he silently counted to five in an attempt to get his rage under control. No sense in blowing up in front of his little girl because none of this was her fault.

"Baby girl, you need to tell me everything that happened." Clay said softly.

After a long moment, his daughter burrowed her head under his chin and started speaking, her voice so low that he had to strain to hear it. And as he absorbed everything Jolene was saying, it took all of the restraint Clay wasn't aware he possessed not to let loose all of his rage and anger.

"I didn't know he was home, Daddy. I had half a day at school and I really needed to get some sleep." Jolene started.

It further broke Clay's heart to hear her softly crying against his cut.

Smoothing his hand across her back, Clay put his lips against her hair. Gently rocking his daughter, he made quiet shh-ing noises, his best attempt at offering her comfort when all he had ever known to bring him any measure of comfort was retaliation. He would ultimately get his comfort, his retribution against those that hurt his baby girl, but this moment in time wasn't about him. It was all about Jolene.

Not knowing how to ask what he needed to know, but didn't want to know, Clay resolved himself to share his daughter's burden, whatever it was.

"Did he rape you?"

Jolene's head shot up, her eyes red-rimmed but blazing. She shook her head vehemently, her jaw tight.

"No." She finally replied. "Not for lack of trying, but I was able to fight him off."

_That's my girl!_

Clay realized he truly owed Chibs a debt of gratitude for teaching her how to fight. Even though he was proud that she was able to protect herself, Clay would gladly give up the gavel if it meant she never had to go through the experience in the first place.

"He hurt you, though?" He indicated the bruise on her cheek.

Jolene nodded. Pushing up her sleeves, she showed her father the deep bruising on her forearms. "These go up my arms to my shoulders and my legs are pretty banged up, too."

Seeing for the first time the bandage wrapped around her right hand, Clay asked, "And this?"

Jolene couldn't help but shudder as she remembered the copious amounts of blood that had pooled around Pretty Ricky in a matter of seconds.

"I sliced my hand," Jolene almost couldn't bring herself to say it. "With the shard of glass I stabbed him with."

"That's how you were able to get away?"

Jolene nodded. "I had to, Daddy." Her hand flew up to her cheek. "He hit me hard with brass knuckles. I was afraid he was gonna knock me out."

She looked on the verge of crying again, so Clay pulled her into his arms again.

"No, Jolene. Listen to me," He nudged her chin up so that she was looking at him. "You did what you had to do in order to survive. I wouldn't expect anything less from my SAMCRO Princess." Clay dropped a kiss on her forehead, relief flooding him in waves.

 _Aside from some bruising and emotional scarring, my baby girl is virtually unscathed. Yeah, right_ , Clay thought bitterly.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Clay. "Where was Valentina during all this?"

"She wasn't there. A friend of hers got sick during the night and she took her to the hospital." Jolene sniffed. "But she came home, minutes before I left."

"And she just let you go?" Clay was dumbfounded that Valentina would let go of the meal ticket she fought so hard in court to get.

"I wouldn't say she let me go. I had locked myself in my room. If I hadn't, I don't think I would have walked out of that hellhole." Jolene replied, but hesitated to continue. "The douche bag lied and told her I was the one that attacked him, but she—"

"What?"

"She knew . . . she knew that he had been trying since almost day one to get into my room at night. She accused me of sleeping with him and called me a dirty fucking whore. She said she was gonna kill me." Jolene whispered.

_Dead whore walking!_

"It wasn't the first time she had flipped out on me. If I hadn't cut my hand, I might have opened the door and wailed on her again."

"Again?" Clay couldn't help the smile that started to curl his lips. "Tell me, baby girl, how you ended up kicking her ass in the first place."

* * *

_The minute they had laid eyes on each other, Jolene could feel the hatred that, aside from their looks, was the only thing she shared with her "mother". It was clearly obvious that Valentina wanted Jolene living with her as much as Jolene wanted to be there, which wasn't very much at all. Not by a long shot. Jolene could tell that Angela Bainbridge had noticed the lack of affection between the two, which had the social worker wondering, and not for the first time, why would Jolene's P.O. support this woman's petition for custody, effectively removing a child from the only stable home she had ever had?_

_Although she felt like she was living in limbo, with her real life on hold until she could return to Charming, Jolene's first month with Valentina wasn't as bad as, she would later find out, it could be. With Valentina still on probation, which required weekly drug tests, life in the dingy little apartment was tolerable, especially as they went out of their way to avoid each other._

_Surprisingly, after Valentina's probation had ended, the changes were subtle at first. Or maybe Jolene hadn't really noticed because she found every excuse possible to avoid spending any significant amount of time in the same space as Valentina, especially since the Court had her shipped to Seattle at the end of her junior year at Charming Excelsior Prep. Jolene would spend several days at a time with Ronnie in Redmond, weekends working at Habitat for Humanity construction sites in several communities on the outskirts of Seattle and visiting several museums and libraries for hours on end, all in an effort to stay out of the way of her bitter egg donor._

_But as her drinking increased, the more outspoken Valentina became and, since Jolene was never around when it was convenient, she would stumble into Jolene's room in the middle of the night to berate her._

" _Your father's a piece of shit!" Valentina started with her favorite go-to mantra as she flipped on the light over Jolene's bed._

_Squinting, Jolene grabbed for her cell phone and noticed the time. "For fuck's sake, Valentina! It's three o'clock in the morning! Do we have to do this again tonight?" Jolene sat up, bringing her feet over the edge of the bed and onto the cold floor._

" _He said he loved me. He only said it once, but I fuckin' believed him. Believed that one day he would make me his old lady, take me away from all this shit." Valentina blubbered, the plastic tumbler she was holding sloshing her vodka and cranberry all over Jolene's meticulously kept floor. "But he lied! He lied, and do you know why? Because he's a piece of shit!"_

" _Yeah, so I've heard." Jolene replied half-yawning as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes._

_The last time she'd gone on her little tirade, about a week ago, Valentina had ended her dissertation by throwing up on Jolene's freshly-washed bed linen. Jolene would be damned if she was spending the rest of the night sleeping on the couch that smelled like ass and feet again. She was about grab the egg donor by the arm and usher her out of the room when Valentina flipped out and tossed her drink in Jolene's face._

_Jolene took a deep breath, convinced that she was dealing with an emotionally unstable, bat-shit crazy has-been whore who should be pitied, when all she really wanted to do was knock the bitch on her demented drunk ass._

" _And you! I bet he loves you. He fought like a son of a bitch to keep you." Valentina spit out. "What makes you so much better than me, huh? You've only ever been a brat. Never brought anything good into my life. You only ever scared away any decent man that would even look at me twice."_

" _Are you done because I think you could use another drink?" Jolene asked sarcastically as she wiped her face, staining the sleeves of her nightgown pink. "Hopefully, you'll drink enough to pass out and choke on your own vomit." Jolene winced at her own words. She was thinking it and hadn't really meant to say it out loud, but goddamn it, she was tired of this shit._

_Valentina's face became a contorted mask of hatred. "You're just like your fuckin' father! You think you're smarter than everyone else and look down on anybody who doesn't wear a cut or isn't fucking a patch."_

_Jolene shook her head and almost laughed. "That's where you're wrong. Anybody can fuck a patch. Only old ladies deserve the kind of respect you were seeking and I'm willing to bet you were never old lady material."_

" _And the bitch he finally married is?" Valentina laughed, unsteady on her feet. "You're delusional thinking you have it so great, living in a big house with your daddy and his new family. You're pathetic!"_

" _Yeah, I'm the one that's pathetic." Jolene snarked. "You ever bother to look in a mirror anymore?"_

_Disregarding Jolene's dig about her fading looks, Valentina put a hand on her cocked hip and went in for the kill. "You have no idea, walking around so high and mighty when you're just an abortion that never came to fruition! I never wanted you and I certainly never loved you. You were nothing to me. The only reason you were ever born was because by the time I realized I was pregnant, I was too far along. No doctor would touch me, no matter how much money I offered. If your own mother never loved you, what makes you think that bitch your father married ever could? She only married him because she wanted to keep being the fuckin' Biker Queen of Charming. You were just part of the deal she made with the devil. You're just too stupid to see that." Valentina laughed triumphantly as she saw her shot hit home._

_Although momentarily distracted by the latent mother issues Valentina so viciously touched upon, hitting a raw nerve, Jolene refused to be cowed._

" _Bitch, you don't know anything about my father, my mother, or about my life." Thinking there was no point in arguing with a drunk, drug-addled washed-up whore because come morning, she wouldn't remember what was said anyway, Jolene decided to vent nonetheless. "You're not only delusional, but you're a dumb bitch, too. You should have known from the jump that my father would NEVER make you his old lady. He knew exactly what you were and old lady material wasn't it."_

_In a murderous rage, Valentina reached out to deliver a stunning blow across her daughter's face. Expecting Jolene to fall back and cower, Valentina was shocked when Jolene caught her by the wrist, preventing Valentina's hand from connecting with her face. As fast as lightning, and with all of the pent up rage and anger that she had held in for over ten long years, Jolene followed through with a right jab, popping the egg donor on the mouth. The force of the hit sent Valentina reeling backwards in the small room until she slammed head first against the doorjamb._

_Holding a hand to her rapidly swelling and bleeding lips and the other to the bump already forming on her hairline, Valentina was suddenly stone cold sober. She could feel the wrath emanating from Jolene. No one had ever reminded Valentina of a pissed off Clay more than his daughter did at this moment and, right before Jolene's eyes, Valentina literally shrank in terror._

" _I'm not five years old anymore, you goddamned bully. You even look like you're thinking about laying a hand on me again and I will fuck you up beyond recognition, leaving just enough for my daddy to deal with. We clear?" Jolene growled. "Now get the fuck out of my room."_

* * *

 _I am so fuckin' proud of her_ , Clay was smiling as he continued to stroke his daughter's hair lovingly.

"Growing up here in Charming, I never felt anything but indifference towards Valentina. Now, I _hate_ her and it pisses me off because six months ago I didn't know her well enough to give her a second thought. I feel like, from this day on, whenever I do think about her, all I'm ever going to remember is these last six months, and I don't want that to change me, Daddy." Jolene said on the verge of tears again.

"It won't, sweetheart." Clay assured her. "It may take a while, but soon, the time you spent with that bitch will seem like just a bad dream."

Jolene snuggled against her father's chest once again and she was quiet for so long that Clay thought she had fallen asleep. Just as he was going to tilt his head and check, Jolene almost whispered.

"What's gonna happen if I killed him, Daddy?" She asked, referring to Valentina's pimp.

_It would certainly serve the motherfucking, piece of shit, scumbag predator right if she had!_

"Sweetheart, what you did, was done in self-defense and believe me, I will take care of the rest." Lifting her head, Jolene looked into the cold hard blue eyes of her father and she shivered involuntarily.

In all the years she had lived in Charming, Jolene had never seen that look on his face before. Suddenly, she realized that she wasn't looking at her father. She was looking at the President of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original and he was pissed to the extreme. The fear Jolene initially had about coming clean to her father about her life in Seattle under her mother's custody came surging back and flew out of her mouth.

"Dad, please, don't do anything that will jeopardize you or the Club. Please?" Jolene pleaded. She had managed to pull Jax from the ledge earlier today. She didn't think she'd have the same luck with her father, but she had to try. "It's over now and I'm home and I'm safe. If you do something and it blows back on you, I'll never forgive myself."

"Baby girl, you are just gonna have to trust that this old dog knows what he's doing. It will be handled."

Seeing the determination in his eyes, Jolene reluctantly nodded her assent. "Can you promise me one thing, Daddy?"

"What, baby girl?" Clay tried to smile reassuringly, but he was not prepared to promise not seeking revenge.

"Can we keep everything that happened just between us? I don't want anyone to know, not Gemma, not even Uncle Elvis, no one, okay?" Even though she had managed to successfully fight off her predator, the idea that anyone would know that she had been the victim of a sexual attack was painful for the young teenager.

"I promise. No one." Clay stroked her hair and kissed her on the top of her head. "How do you feel now?"

Jolene looked at her father and realized, with a sense of wonder, how free and safe she felt now that the burden of telling her father was over, especially since she was back in the arms of her loving family. "I feel good."

"That's my girl." Standing up with his daughter still in his arms, Clay put her down on her feet. "Damn, I was right. You have grown a few inches."

Jolene smiled as she wrapped her arms around him. "Yeah, I guess you can't call me baby girl any more."

Her father looked down at her. "Jolene, you will always be my baby girl."

* * *

Clay did not get a good night's sleep. In fact, he hadn't slept much at all. After getting Jolene settled down in her bed, he returned to his man cave to plan out his strategy. After hours of plotting and decision-making, Clay finally fell asleep on the couch.

"Hey, baby." Never a heavy sleeper, Clay startled awake and blinked his eyes open as he saw Gemma standing over him. "You never came to bed last night."

Clay sat up and rubbed his face. "No, I had a restless night. Thought it was better if I stayed down here."

Gemma sat on the coffee table in front of her husband. "I know Jolene came down here last night. Do you want to talk about what happened?"

Normally, Clay would not hesitate to talk his wife about their daughter, but he had made a promise to Jolene and he intended to keep it.

"No, I'm all right and Jolene will be too, but for now she wants to be left alone. No one is to question her about Seattle." As Gemma started to object, Clay continued. "Period. She's to stay in the house, only immediate family and those who sit at the table can see her, but that's it." Clay pointed a meaty finger at his wife. "Understand?"

_When he gets like this there's no getting around him._

Gemma nodded. "Good." Reaching over, Clay gave his old lady a gentle kiss on the lips. "Now, is Neeta here yet?"

"She'll be here in a few minutes. Why?"

"Jolene loves her pancakes. Matter of fact, so do I. Get her to whip us up a batch, will ya? I got a few calls I need to make."

"All right." Gemma stood up and headed towards the doorway. "I'm here for the both of you, you know that right?"

"I know, baby. And I appreciate it."

As Gemma closed the door behind her, Clay pulled out his pre-pay and made a call to the Tacoma Killer.

* * *

Happy was fast asleep, wedged between two croweaters he had snagged during last night's Clubhouse party, when his prepay went off. He had closed his eyes less than an hour ago and was tempted to ignore it, but after the sixth ring, he caved and picked it up.

"Yo." He said in a gravelly voice.

" _Hap, it's your President_. _"_

Whenever Clay announced himself in that fashion, Happy knew that some serious shit was about to jump off.

Happy sat up in bed. "Hold on a sec." Nudging the naked croweaters awake by slapping them on the ass, he ordered them to get out of his room. As the two women quickly departed, Happy got back on the line. "What can I do for you, brother?"

" _I need both you and Kozik to do a personal favor for me and it needs to be done quickly."_

Clay was never in the habit of asking for personal favors from an outside charter, so Happy counted it as an honor to be asked.

"I'm listening."

" _Good. You'll need to bring your bag of tricks with you."_

Happy's grin would probably be terrifying to most normal people. "When and where?"

" _Seattle. Right now." Clay quickly detailed what he wanted Happy and Kozik to do for him. "Are you up to the task brother?"_

"I can do this thing for you, brother. It will be perfect." Happy responded.

* * *

It had been two days since Clay had left Charming. Having Gemma give him several large shots of cortisone in his arthritic mitts, he made the 13½-hour trip to Seattle. Making the decision to leave his Sergeant-at-Arms behind, he assured Gemma and his brothers that he would be fine. He planned to pick up Rosen at his Stockton office, and then head up to Seattle to personally meet with Jolene's CPS drone.

At least that was what he _said_.

In the meantime, Clay had instructed that Jolene be kept under lock and key and she wasn't complaining. Jolene was so glad to be home that she didn't care about being kept in a lockdown during her first week back in Charming. During the day, she spent time catching up and gossiping with Neeta and Gemma. Every night for dinner, she got to enjoy the company of the Sons as they kidded around the dining room table while Neeta and Bobby held kitchen wars to create a slew of Jolene's favorite meals.

The only bodies missing from the table, besides her father, were Jax and Opie. Clay was keeping them both busy with Club business as Unser had two protection runs to Bakersfield and San Diego. Clay had sent Jax and Opie, along with a third patch, Kyle Hobart, and weren't expected back home for at least a week.

Holed up in her room wearing one of her long-sleeved night gowns and reading a book, Jolene was trying to do her best not to think about what had happened in Seattle, but with so much time to spend alone on her hands, it was difficult trying to think of anything but.

Not knowing whether or not she was responsible for killing a man was eating her alive, bit by bit. While she had no regrets in defending herself, the idea of taking a life was still hard to accept, even if it was a scum bag like her egg donor's pimp. She may have SAMCRO running through her veins and even though it felt good knowing she could handle her mud, Jolene had never envisioned herself as some female patch with a killer instinct. Although, truth be told, handling her mud is what had gotten her into trouble in the first place.

Even though she was a bit concerned about the well-being of the man who had attacked her, Jolene was even more worried about her father. Except for one call to let Gemma know that he had made it to Seattle, they had not heard anything from him in over 24 hours. Jolene was so consumed with thoughts of her father's safety, that she never even heard the sound of his bike pull into the Morrow's driveway, so she was quite startled when a quiet knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Baby girl, you still up?"

Jolene sat up straight in her bed, her relief evident in her voice as she answered. "Yeah, Dad. Come on in."

Opening the door, Clay strode in and saw Jolene huddled under the covers. Sitting down on the bed beside her, he reached over and tweaked her nose. "How ya doing, kid?"

"Fine, now that you're home. You know Dad, there's this really great new invention. It's called a telephone. You might want to consider learning how to use one." Jolene said sarcastically as she crossed her arms underneath her chest.

Clay frowned a little as he noted the position of her arms. _I don't know what it is, but somehow baby girl looks a little different._ Forestalling that line of thought, Clay smiled at his daughter. "I got some good news for you, baby girl."

Clay had been very busy. Having put a number of plays in motion, he had lost quite a bit of sleep, hoping that all of his efforts would prove successful. Not being able to discuss his plans with anyone because of his promise to Jolene, Clay missed using Bobby and Gemma as a sounding board, but now that everything looked like it was going to work out, he could hardly wait to share the news with his daughter.

"First off, you don't have to worry about that asshole any more. You managed to hurt him pretty good, but he survived just fine." As Clay saw his daughter's tense shoulders relax at the statement he grinned.

_Baby girl can be a little too tenderhearted at times._

"So, what, is he in the hospital?"

"Nah, I guess he didn't want to raise too many questions." And that was all that Clay was prepared to say about it.

He and his Tacoma brothers had taken care of business and she was now safe. That's all baby girl needed to know.

_The Tacoma Killer had worked quickly to bring Kozik up to speed as they headed over to the address that Clay had given him. Not knowing if the man they had been commissioned to apprehend would still be at that location, Happy had not wanted to waste any time. He and Kozik had spent the day doing surveillance of the building and had finally decided to use the cover of darkness to make their move. Grabbing Donut, another Tacoma patch, while heading out the Clubhouse door, Happy tasked him with driving the cargo van. No questions asked._

_With Donut as the getaway driver, Kozik riding shotgun, and Happy in the back with his bag of tricks, the three Sons sat in the dark cargo van. Dressed in plain clothes, they surveyed the building from about half a block away._

" _Security is shit." Happy, a man of few words, shared what he had been able to gather from his earlier_ _reconnaissance_ _of the five-floor walk up._

" _Yeah, it's non-existent." Kozik replied. "An old building like this is unlikely to have security cams. And I don't see any wiring on the outside to indicate that it would." The spiky-haired blond biker peered through the windshield using a set of night vision goggles. "How you want to handle this?"_

" _I'll take the fire escape. You go through the front. If the apartment's empty, we pull back and wait for the woman. We'll get whatever Intel we can out of her. Quietly." Happy emphasized._

" _Hey, don't worry about me, brother. I'm not Tig." Kozik groused. "And if the dirtbag is there?" Referring to their prime objective._

_In the dark van, Kozik could still see Happy's maniacal grin. "Then we take him for a ride in the woods."_

" _You better make this pick up fast, brothers." Donut said. "We've got a little over an hour before sunrise."_

" _Just be ready when we come out." Happy instructed. Checking his Glock, he shoved it back into his holster and hefted the large bedroll he had under his arm. "Let's do this."_

_All things considered, it had been relatively simple. One moment the pimp was sleeping, the next he was wide awake and staring up at two of the most frightening men he had ever seen in his life._

_Pretty Ricky could hardly believe how badly the shit had hit the fan. Trying to push up on that little stuck-up bitch had proven a big mistake. The fact that she had escaped out the window had not only pissed him off, but had filled him with dread as well. Although Valentina never talked about her kid, Pretty Ricky knew that her father was an outlaw biker from NorCal and, as tough a guy as he considered himself to be, Pretty Ricky knew enough to not to fuck around with crazy white boy bikers._

_Having realized that a whole world of pain could follow if he opened a can of worms by going to the emergency room, he nearly bled out before Valentina managed to get her ass in gear. The dumb bitch didn't even know how to fix a tourniquet on his leg to stop the bleeding._

_An old prison connection of his had finally come through and hooked Pretty Ricky up with a doctor that could patch him up without needing or wanting details, for a fat fee, of course. Once he was back in fighting form, he planned on recouping the doctor's fee from Valentina's hide as a lesson to the stupid whore for bringing her bastard kid to live with them. After Dr. Frankenstein had done a number on his leg, but had miraculously stopped the bleeding, Ricky was in no condition to travel. He was still holed up in Valentina's apartment when the two Sons showed up. Unfortunately for him, he was flying solo as one of Valentina's regular clients had her for the night._

_Finding their quarry alone and defenseless in the apartment, Kozik did quick work of knocking him the fuck out, with Happy wrapping him up in the bedroll and carrying him down the stairs, with none of the building's tenants being the wiser._

_From his position parked across the street, Donut effortlessly did a U-turn. With its sliding door open as the the cargo van pulled up to the curb, Kozik and Happy threw their bound and gagged captive on the floor of the vehicle and jumped in behind him as Donut gunned the motor and sped off into the pre-dawn morning._

_Sitting and waiting on his Harley on some backwoods road between Seattle and Tacoma was all the proof Clay needed as to why Seattle had such a high suicide rate. It was fucking raining all the goddamn time! Having been born and raised in New York, Clay knew fucked up weather. Heat waves in February, blizzards in April, tropical storms, hurricanes, tornadoes. Clay had seen it all, but he could take Washington State in small doses only. If he had to live here, although green and lush and beautiful, Clay was sure he'd eat his gun too if he got to see the sun once or twice a year while walking around perpetually wet. Not to mention the havoc the gloomy weather was causing his mitts as it seemed the cortisone shots were no match for the dampness._

_Finally seeing a pair of headlights heading towards him, Clay breathed a sigh of relief. He was starting to feel dumber than a goddamned dog sitting on his bike in the drizzling rain. At least a dog had the sense to seek shelter when it rained. Throwing his bike into gear, Clay fell behind the cargo van as it passed and followed its lead to what Happy called "Dead Man's Hallow."_

_With the sky slowly lightening from pitch black to a murky gray,_ _Happy and Kozik unceremoniously dumped the semi-conscious and groaning man on the forest floor. The small group of Sons, led by the mother charter's President, waited patiently for the light drizzle falling on his face to bring him to. As Kozik shone the black and yellow industrial flashlight at the man's half-hooded eyes causing him to flinch, Clay smirked to himself. If the bruises on his face were any indication, baby girl gave as good as she got._

_As the man came to, he found himself looking into a set of piercing steel blue eyes. Clay was squatting and bent further so that he could be heard only by Pretty Ricky._

" _That was my little girl you attacked the other day. I heard she got you real good in the thigh, too." Clay smirked. "You're gonna soon learn that you should have let yourself bleed out because my friend back here," He indicated Happy. "Is gonna show you what a bad decision preying on my kid actually was." Standing up, Clay turned to Happy. "Have as much fun as you want, but he dies dickless and bleeding into the ground. Once it's done, burn the body and bury the bones."_

" _You got it, brother." Happy put his hand on Clay's shoulder._

_Clay stepped back and watched as Happy removed his bag of tricks, in the form of a backpack, and threw it on the ground next to his next smiley face tattoo. Pretty Ricky had the good sense to start panicking, but Kozik had made sure to gag his mouth tight. Pulling out a large serrated hunting knife, Happy knelt next to the soon-to-be dead man and grabbed his head with one gloved hand as he lowered himself mere inches away from his face._

" _This is what you get for fuckin' with SAMCRO." Happy snarled as he slowly pushed the blade into Pretty Ricky's side, in between his ribs._

_Twisting it as he pulled it out, Happy pushed it in again, this time leaving the blade between his ribs while he rifled through his backpack. Noticing the angle of the blade stuck into Pretty Ricky's side, Clay was sure the man was having a hell of a time trying to catch his breath, especially with his mouth taped shut. He could see the tears running down his face and onto the ground as he breathed out snot bubbles in an effort to get some air into his lungs. Clay knew every breath he took had to hurt like a motherfucker and he was glad, the thought of what this piece of shit had planned on doing to his little girl washing his conscience clean._

_Pulling out one of his most prized possessions, a Civil War-era battlefield surgery kit, Happy grabbed what looked like a rusty hacksaw and held it in front of Pretty Ricky's face._

" _Now let's take a look at that injured leg." Happy grimaced and Clay was pretty sure Pretty Ricky had shit his pants._

_Satisfied with where this was headed, with a slight nod of his head towards Kozik and Donut, Clay turned and headed back to his bike. Flexing his arthritic hands, he realized that it was going to take him at least a good hour's ride before he made it to Seattle. According to Kozik, Valentina wasn't home and that was alright by Clay. He didn't mind waiting. It would give him time to dry off some and warm up his sore hands._

_It was time for one last dance with Valentina Robles. And he could hardly wait._

Jolene tugged on her father's cut to get his attention. "Hey, where'd you go? You left me hanging here."

Clay reached out and cupped his daughter's face. "Sorry. Look, there's nothing at all for you to be concerned about."

"But what if he reports me to the police? With my record—"

Clay put his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "Baby girl, I want you to listen to me. All right?"

Jolene nodded soberly.

"That POS will _never_ be a problem for you again. Got it? As far as you're concerned, he no longer exists and no one will ever know what he tried to do to you. Ever." Clay's eyes bore into his daughter's widened eyes.

_Oh crap!_

Jolene was no fool. She could read between the lines just as good as anybody else. She was pretty sure that what her father was telling her was that the scumbag no longer walked the face of this earth. Partly scared, but mostly relieved, Jolene threw her arms around her father and hugged him hard.

Pulling out of her father's embrace, Jolene looked her father in the eye. "And what about Valentina?"

Clay gave his daughter an enigmatic smile. "You don't have to worry about her any more either. It's been handled."

_It had been a really long time since Valentina had to do an early morning walk of shame through the streets of Seattle and, after the night she'd had last night, she was determined that this would be her last. Sam Bernard had been a loyal customer of hers for years. Sam drove a truck for a logging company in Castle Rock, Washington and made frequent trips through the Pacific Northwest to Oregon, going as far south as Eureka in Northern California. Whenever he passed through Seattle, he always made it a point to get together with Valentina to party. He had called her late yesterday afternoon and offered her a significant amount of money to spend the night with him at some dive motel._

_Usually, this was a proposition Valentina wouldn't have to think twice about, but with Pretty Ricky almost bleeding to death less than two days ago, she was going to put him off. Ricky, however, quickly reminded her that she owed him for the doctor who had charged him through the nose to fix his leg. In order for Valentina to make the amount of money Sam was offering in one night, she was going to have to suck a lot of dick. She had wanted to stay home and take care of Ricky, but since he was being such a prick about the money he insisted she owed him, Valentina dressed herself to the nines and headed out for a Saturday night with her favorite trucker._

_In hindsight, she should have just stayed her ass home._

_Sam, who she hadn't seen in about a year, could barely conceal his shock and disappointment when he'd opened the door to his motel room and found her standing there. That should have been her first cue to get her ass out of there, but the last thing she wanted was to go back to the apartment and admit to Ricky that Sam had practically laughed in her face about how old and haggard she'd become since he last saw her. He invited her in as his options were limited this late in the game and, besides, he had to get back on the road early the next morning. The night went down hill from there._

_Even though he seemed to have no problem getting it up long enough to give her a proper pounding, as soon as he was done, he would revert back to ridiculing her for getting old and losing her looks. Since he wasn't getting what he thought he was paying for, he would only pay her half of what he had offered over the phone._

_All in all, it had been one of the most humiliating nights of her life. How was she going to explain to Pretty Ricky that Sam had reneged on the price and, adding insult to injury, had refused to give her a little extra for cab fare, forcing her to take public transportation in her party girl outfit._

_For the first time in a long time, Valentina felt tears moisten her cheeks as she dragged herself up the stairs to her third floor apartment. Instead of blaming almost twenty years of drug use for finally taking its toll on her face and body, Valentina chose to believe that the last six months living with the brat she had given birth to was the true culprit. Not only had she been under an enormous amount of stress sharing an apartment with a virtual stranger, but Valentina had to sit and watch herself grow older every day as Jolene grew more voluptuous and beautiful. Living with the knowledge that the men who used to fall all over themselves just to spend some time with her were now lusting after the younger version of herself had been enough to drive her to drink. Valentina only hoped that Ricky had managed to bust up that little pretty face of hers and hopefully leave some permanent scars as a reminder that her big and bad biker daddy had not been around to protect her._

_Entering the darkened apartment, Valentina was about to head into her bedroom, but remembered Ricky was still here. Needing some sleep and wanting to avoid a confrontation so early on a Sunday morning, Valentina headed to the living room with the intention of crashing on the couch. She barely cleared the entrance into the room when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She knew that smell._

_Cohiba cigars._

_And she had ever known only one man who smoked them._

_Willing herself to turn towards the recliner in the far corner of the room, Valentina cried out as she felt a giant bear claw of a hand grab onto the hair at the back of her head. Practically lifting her off the ground, Clay popped his cigar into this mouth and, before she knew what was coming, backhanded her hard enough to send her flying across the room. Landing on the rickety coffee table, Valentina fell with a thud onto the floor as the table gave way underneath her._

_This wasn't the first time she would be on the receiving end of a beating at the hands of a pissed off man, but the rage blazing in Clay's steely blue eyes had her doubting that she would somehow manage to survive what he had in store for her._

_Valentina threw her arms up, blocking her face and head as Clay stalked across the room towards her. Now grabbing her by the hair on top of her head, he lifted her up off the floor. She knew better than to scream. Some men got off on a woman screaming and crying in fear and that just made the beatings worse and seemingly never ending. Without saying a word, Clay backhanded her again, this time his rings splitting her lip. Falling onto her back as her head spun, Valentina started whimpering as she struggled to get on her feet, but Clay pushed her back down as he straddled her._

_The look on his face told her that there would be no begging for mercy because he didn't have any to spare for her. She could see the sheer hatred twisting his features into a contorted mask._

" _You're gonna kill me." Valentina said evenly, her swollen lip making it difficult to form the words._

" _Killing you slow is too fuckin' good for you." Clay growled. "I ought to peel the skin off of you an inch at a time." Taking a drag off of the cigar that was still in the corner of his mouth, Clay blew out a long stream of smoke. Looking at the end of the butt, which glowed red, Clay smiled_ _to himself and with his other hand grabbed Valentina by the throat as he leaned in close with the lit cigar. "But first, maybe I ought to take this," Clay waved the lit cigar in Valentina's pale face, which showed every bit of her 37 years and then some. "And burn you just the way you did my baby girl when she was too little and defenseless to protect herself."_

" _Please . . . please don't," Valentina begged as she saw the cigar get closer and closer to her face._

_Clay paused and when his eyes bore into her, Valentina knew she was about to meet the Reaper._

_Suddenly, Clay stood up and lifted Valentina up with his bear claw of a hand, which was still wrapped around her throat and threw her on the worn sofa._

_Easing himself into the recliner he had spent the last few hours in while waiting patiently for her, Clay crossed his legs and then relit his cigar as Valentina coughed violently after having her larynx nearly crushed. Smiling a grin that had sent grown men running for cover, Clay blew three perfect smoke rings._

" _Maybe we should talk. Perhaps you can change my mind on the whole slow death by torture plan."_

Jolene looked at her father with narrowed eyes. "Is she still breathing?"

Clay wrapped his arms around his daughter. "She'll live." And with that, Jolene decided not to ask any more questions as she was by now quite certain that she really didn't want the answers.

Clay released his daughter. "There is one other piece of news."

 _Oh, what now_ , Jolene thought apprehensively.

"You need to be up and ready to hit the road by 9:00 tomorrow. You and me are going on a little trip." Taking in Jolene's wide-eyed expression, Clay continued. "It's all good, baby girl. We're meeting with Rosen to get the ball rolling with Family Court. I'll tell you all about it in the morning. Just get some sleep."

After her father closed the door behind him, Jolene snuggled back down under the covers and now, having the weight of most of her anxieties taken off of her shoulders, Jolene fell effortlessly into a deep sleep.

* * *

It was Thursday afternoon, a week after Jolene's return to Charming.

Debra McAllister sat across the table from the Morrows and their attorney, Scott Rosen.

"Jolene, I understood from your attorney that he requested this meeting to discuss your case. I'm extremely surprised to see you here. Why are you not in Seattle with your mother?"

"The answer to that question is why I asked for the meeting," Rosen answered for Jolene. "To discuss Jolene's situation with you and apprise you of some changes in Jolene's circumstances."

McAllister shot back. "The only change to Jolene's circumstances that I see is that she's not presently in the custody of her mother as ordered by the San Joaquin Family Court. Instead, it seems that she is in violation of the terms of her probation."

Jolene decided to take McAllister on herself, despite the agreement she had made with both her father and Rosen on the drive to Lodi that morning.

"You have no idea why Valentina was forced to give me up in the first place, do you?"

Saying that Valentina was "forced" was giving her the benefit of the doubt. Valentina had eagerly packed the few rags Jolene had that could pass as decent—if they had ever been kept clean—into a plastic shopping bag and gratefully handed her over to the social worker. Jolene was a handful, she had claimed and it was hard enough being a single mom without being looked down upon for leaving the girl alone while she "worked."

"Your mother had a drug problem and—" McAllister started but Jolene interrupted.

" _Had_? Are you serious? You don't know Valentina and you sure as hell don't know my father, yet for some reason, you've made it your life's mission to separate me from the only family I've ever known." Jolene said angrily. "My _mother_ is a horrible person and using drugs is the least of her problems. In my opinion, spending six months with her only made me appreciate and love my father more for rescuing me." Jolene explained.

McAllister sat and watched Jolene speak, eyes emotionless and her mouth set in a thin, grim line. Jolene chuckled to herself.

_Either this bitch doesn't get it, or she's been on the job too long and just doesn't give a shit anymore._

Jolene sat forward in her chair, her hands clasped in front of her on the conference table. "I hate that woman and forcing me to waste six months of my life with her was never going to change that. The feeling was mutual, I can assure you. She resented me being there, thought I attracted too much attention. She was right, but it was all unwanted." Jolene said. "I slept in a room slightly bigger than a closet and at night I had to barricade the door to keep her creepy boyfriends out. You may think otherwise, but I only feel truly loved and protected when I'm living in Charming."

"Be that as it may, Jolene, you are still here against the Court's order and in violation of your probation." McAllister explained. "Do I need to explain to you that either you return to Seattle or face the consequences?"

"The matter of Jolene returning to her mother is now moot." Reaching into his brief case, Rosen pulled out a stack of court-stamped documents. "Valentina Robles has relinquished her rights as Jolene's mother and surrendered full custody to Clay Morrow." Noting the shock on the P.O.'s face, Rosen smiled as he continued. "I have been informed by the Clerk of the Family Court that the papers to amend her probation _once again_ will be processed immediately and should be filed and on your desk by Monday morning. We requested this meeting in order to make sure that your office was fully aware of the facts so that Jolene can get back on schedule with completing her community service here in NorCal, as well as get credit for the service she completed in Seattle."

Rosen had acted quickly to process the papers in order to forestall any countermoves by McAllister to try and have Jolene placed in a foster home. Technically, by leaving the custody of her mother without permission, Jolene would have been classified as a runaway, especially since Clay had not reported her return home to CPS. He needed to act fast because it would have been within the Family Court's authority to put her into a foster home and completely out of Clay's reach until she was 18.

The pure fact of the matter was that Rosen had been astounded when Clay called him early in the morning last Friday and asked him to draw up a new set of custody papers. He had asked Clay how he planned to get the birth mother to give up custody, but the outlaw had not deigned to answer. Rosen realized that it probably wasn't a good idea to know the how. The less he knew, the better.

The P.O. smiled thinly. "Well, it certainly warms my heart to see outlaw money so hard at work." McAllister sarcastically, but involuntarily shivered as she looked into the cold blue steely stare of the hardened criminal across the table from her. For some reason McAllister got the feeling that if the situation had not worked out to Jolene's benefit, Clay Morrow would have come hunting for his pound of flesh. McAllister quickly rose to her feet, for the first time in her very long career as a public servant feeling real fear. "Why don't I go get my files? Since it seems that Jolene is here to stay, we should get her back on track as quickly as possible."

As the P.O. almost ran out of the conference room, Jolene reached out to give her father a hard hug. "I am so proud of you, Dad."

"Yeah?" Clay grinned down at his daughter. "What for?"

"For not gutting her like a fish. I could tell you wanted to."

"Damn straight."

_And I just may do it if she gives baby girl any more shit._


	5. Dazed and Confused

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.**

* * *

_Finally, life is charming once again._

Jolene sped down the I-22 at top speed, her car radio blaring one of her favorite Radiohead songs. Normally, Clay would be pitching a fit with Jolene doing 80 miles an hour on the open road, with him in the car no less, but today Clay didn't have the heart to stop her. Seeing the 1,000 watt smile and the pure joy on her face gave the hardened outlaw biker a measure of peace and happiness he had not felt since she had been torn from him and their family six months ago.

The only problem was that as happy as he was for her and the outcome they had effected, Clay still wanted to live to see the end of the day. Seeing the speedometer steadily climbing towards 85, he knew he had to put his baby girl in check.

Hiding the fact that, despite the pain in his arthritic hands, he had a death grip on the side of his seat, Clay said, "Baby girl, please take that lead foot of yours off the gas before we die. I would like to get home to my old lady in one piece."

Jolene eased her foot off the pedal, bringing the Mustang's speed down to a respectable 70. "That better?" She grinned.

"Much." Clay let out an exaggerated sigh of relief as he released his grip on his seat.

"Wow, who knew that the former combat Vet and present outlaw MC Pres would be scared of a little speed." Jolene teased.

Clay harrumphed. "Speed ain't the issue. It's the crazy ass currently behind the wheel that's the problem." He snarked. "The older I get, the closer I am to death and I certainly don't need _you_ helping it along."

The outlaw and his daughter spent the next twenty minutes arguing and teasing one another back and forth on their way back to Charming and Clay loved every minute of it. The walls that had been erected while Jolene had been in Seattle had come tumbling down since her return. They were finally back on their old and familiar ground, as if the last six months were nothing more than just a bad dream.

And Clay intended that it stay that way.

* * *

The mood on the T-M lot was tense among those who were in the know about Jolene's situation. Everyone was finding it especially hard to be patient, knowing that the Morrows and their attorney were taking on the pain in the ass probation officer who had been the cause of all of Jolene's recent misfortunes.

But out of everyone waiting for the final outcome, it was Jax who was the most anxious. Having spent the last five days doing back-to-back protection runs to Bakersfield and San Diego with Opie and Kyle, Jax had hated being away from Charming at this pivotal time in Jolene's life. By some miracle, they had made record time on both runs and made it back home two days ahead of schedule, with he and Opie making a beeline for the Clubhouse.

Kyle on the other hand, who was still unaware of Jolene's return—and neither Jax nor Opie had been so inclined to share the news while on the run—had left them at the interchange as he continued North. After contacting Clay to get the okay, Kyle was postponing his return to Charming and making a solo run to Reno.

With Jolene home, Jax had tried to get out of doing the protection run, but Clay was hell-bent that he go. Not wanting to get into an argument with his stepfather, Jax acquiesced and followed his President's orders, as a loyal patch would, deciding to make the best use of his time on the road. The one thing Jax loved most about the open road was the opportunity it gave him to think and reflect and during this run, Jax had spent the bulk of his time thinking about a pair of beautiful seafoam green eyes.

But now, as he sat on the picnic table chain-smoking, having spent five long days on the road, Jax realized that he wasn't any closer in coming to a resolution about his feelings for Jolene than he had been when he had started the run in the first place. There seemed to be a war waging between what his head told him was the right thing to do and what his heart was telling him he wanted. Listening to his head, Jax tried to convince himself that the feelings he had for Jolene could be denied or, at the very least, shoved into a box to be dealt with later.

_Because there is no way that I could possibly be falling in—_

"You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders."

Startled, Jax looked up as Bobby sat down beside him. Passing up Bobby's offer of a hit off his joint, Jax took another drag of his cigarette. "Just thinking about Clay and Jolene." He lied.

 _More like he's thinking only about Jolene_ , Bobby smiled to himself.

"Bobby, what if things didn't work out?" Jax asked.

"Look brother, there's no need to go to the scary place just yet, all right? Clay has been playing his cards close to his chest, but I don't believe he and Rosen would have set up this meet with that bitch P.O. if he didn't have all the cards in his favor."

To be honest, Bobby had been a little surprised, and a little hurt, that Clay had not taken him into his confidence. Talking to Gemma about it, Bobby had been shocked as shit to discover that she too had been left out of the loop, which made him feel a little better. Bobby had known the old biker for many years, so he decided to leave the matter in his hands and trust that Clay would be successful in getting Kit out of this current jam.

Hearing the familiar sound of peeling tires coming into the lot, Bobby smiled. "Well, speak of the devil." Before he could move, Jax had already hopped off the picnic table to meet Jolene's Mustang.

As Bobby had noted, Jolene's driving pretty much announced itself to everyone on the lot and everyone rushed to meet up with father and daughter. Gemma came running from the office with Luann hot on her heels as Piney lumbered out of the Clubhouse with Opie, followed by the new Prospect. Tig, Chibs, and Big Otto, wearing their T-M work shirts, exited the bays and were followed by Lowell, Dog and the rest of the mechanics, who were unaware that Jolene had returned to Charming. The whole crowd started cheering and whistling as soon as Jolene pulled her car to a screeching stop in the middle of the lot.

As soon as she popped out of the driver's side, Jax let go of the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. It was obvious from her smile on her beautiful face, as well as the one threatening to crack Clay's face in two as he exited the passenger side, that the shit had finally landed right side up.

Coming around the corner to embrace her Uncle Elvis, Jolene had to bite back a scream of excitement.

_Oh my God, he's back!_ _My baby's back!_

As she was being squeezed to death by her uncle, Jolene's mind time traveled back to the last time she had seen the love of her life.

* * *

The last time Jolene had laid eyes on Jax had been on her first night back in Charming. After running interference between Clay and Gemma, Jax had taken her home and, as he had promised in the parking lot, didn't question her about her unexpected return home.

Following her into the house, Jax remained quiet as he watched Jolene walk around the ground floor, touching furniture as she soaked in the warmth and safety she always felt in the home she had missed so much. Jolene finally felt secure and at ease for the first time in six months. It took everything in her not to cry as she walked into the dining room, seeing the large table that had hosted many boisterous Sunday dinners prepared by Gemma for her family. The good times sitting around that table far outweighed all the times Jolene had worked as Gemma's unpaid kitchen slave in the creation of those dinners.

Seeing the house from Jolene's perspective made Jax realize how much he truly missed living there. At the same time, he knew that the house had lacked a certain vitality these past six months, not feeling much like a home with Jolene gone. He was glad she was back and not just because Jolene made their SAMCRO family whole, but because she made _him_ whole. Jax pinched the bridge of his nose as he squeezed his eyes shut. He was giving himself a headache by forcing himself to come up with a plausible reason why he should feel this way when he already knew the reasons why.

Realizing that she could spend the rest of the night reliving every happy memory she had of this place, Jolene decided to head upstairs. Hearing heavy footfalls behind her as she climbed the stairs, Jolene stopped. Looking over her shoulder, she was surprised to see her beautiful biker practically on her heels, the salacious half-grin he was sporting making him look more and more like a blond wolf.

Putting a small fist on her cocked hip, Jolene smiled for the first time since leaving the Clubhouse after her near interrogation by Gemma. "Just where do you think you're going?"

Jax's smirk stretched across his face. Putting a hand on the newel post of the stairs, he looked down to the tip of her steel-toed boots, slowly letting his eyes travel the length of her lithe, but voluptuous figure until they locked with Jolene's bright green orbs. Jolene felt herself involuntarily shiver, which she was sure did not go unnoticed.

"I'm just doing what my President ordered." As Jolene quirked an eyebrow at him, Jax laughed as he continued. "Hey, you heard what Clay said, 'don't leave her side until I get home.' I'm just being a good little patch and following orders."

Jolene crossed her arms under her chest, revealing just the barest hint of cleavage. Seeing Jax's eyes riveted to the spot, she smiled to herself. "How very noble, but somehow I don't think that what my Dad had in mind was you following me _into_ the shower."

Jax's mouth literally went dry at the thought. Quickly backing away from the mental picture he had started to build in his head, he managed to reply in a normal tone, "You're prolly right, darlin'. I think I'll just chill in the dining room."

Winking at him, Jolene turned and headed up the stairs, her ass swaying with each step she took. "You do that." She called over her shoulder.

Jolene opened the door to her bedroom. It hadn't changed at all from when she had left. Minus the things that she had taken with her to Seattle—things that she had resigned herself to never seeing again—it was still a mix of girly girl and tomboy rolled into one room.

As much as she wanted to sit down on her old bed and just relax in her room, Jolene couldn't wait to shower a moment longer. Stripping off all of her clothes, she forced herself take a look in the full length mirror behind the bedroom door to assess all of the damage Pretty Ricky had inflicted. While Jolene had a permanently golden glow to her skin, the six months away from the California sun had paled her somewhat, so the bruises stood out even more starkly against her skin than normal.

_He may have beaten me, but he didn't break me._

Stepping into her bathtub, Jolene turned the water up as hot as she could stand it and, lathering her loofah with her favorite body wash, thoroughly scrubbed the pimp's touch off of her body. The more she had scrubbed, the better she started to feel.

Having cleaned her cuts and using baby oil to soften her skin, Jolene put on an oversized sweatshirt nightgown. Moving closer to the mirror, Jolene took a good look at herself. Seeing her banged up face clear of all make up, Jolene knew there was no way she was going back downstairs. If Jax saw the full extent of the bruising, there would be no stopping him from getting the truth out of her, regardless of the promise he had made.

Hearing Gemma's Caddy pull into the driveway, Jolene quickly ran and locked her bedroom door. But she wasn't weak and hating that little act of cowardice, Jolene flung the door open again. Although she had no desire to tangle with Gemma tonight, she wasn't going to hide from her either. Moving to the landing by the stairs, Jolene could hear voices.

Smiling to herself, Jolene realized that Gemma would be a non-issue tonight because her old man was putting his mother in her place.

* * *

Jax had been sitting in the dining room, a cigarette in one hand with a bottle of Jack and a shot glass sitting on the table in front of him when Gemma entered the house.

Jax was doing his best to not think of the lovely young woman who was upstairs in the shower. In spite of feeling like a Chester, he knew he was better off thinking about her all naked and wet instead of all bruised up and beaten. Jax was afraid that she had many other bruises to match the one on her face that she was keeping hidden under her clothes. Trying to rein in his anger, Jax poured another shot as his mother entered the dining room. Gemma hung her designer handbag on the chair opposite her son and, without a word, headed towards the stairs.

"She's sleeping."

"I just want to check on her—"

"No you don't. You just want to find out why she's come home and there'll be no fact-finding missions on my watch, _Gemma_." Jax, finally looking away from the glowing tip of his cigarette, made eye contact with his mother. "Clay made himself pretty clear that she wasn't to be questioned. I heard him. I'm sure you did too, but I'm guessing that you must have forgotten on your way home."

Gemma turned around and cocked her head. "Jax—" She started.

Jax got up and walked over to his mother. Putting a hand on her arm, he squeezed it gently and gave her his patented Mom Whisperer smile. "Ma, if you go up there and start something, you're only going to make the situation worse, and Clay is going to take it out on somebody. I'd hate for that someone to be you."

_Even though you would deserve it._

Realizing the logic in her son's statement, Gemma relented. "All right already. I'll leave her alone."

"Promise?" His blue eyes bore in on hers.

"I promise, you shithead!"

Jax bent over to kiss his mother on the cheek. "Sorry Ma, but sometimes you need to be reined in from mother-bear mode."

Putting his arm around his mother's shoulders, he led his mother back towards the kitchen. "I got this run with Ope and Kyle tomorrow morning. I was hoping Clay would let me out of it, but it's not likely. I'll talk to him when he gets here, but in the meantime, how 'bout you fix me something to eat?"

_That should keep her busy and away from Jo until Clay gets home._

* * *

As happy as she was to be home, total lockdown had been rough and Jolene had missed Jax every single day. Now he was back early and he could share in their good news first hand, along with everyone else.

More importantly, now she was free to focus her attention on securing her Holy Grail. Jax Teller.

Jolene wrapped her arms around the ample girth of her Uncle Bobby and squeezed him hard.

"I guess that means good news, huh, Kit?"

Before she could answer, her father replied. "Damn straight." Clay whistled sharply and loudly to get everyone's attention and the crowd quickly quieted down. "As you can see, my baby girl is back in Charming sooner than we expected." Holding an arm out to Jolene, she quickly released her grip on her uncle and snuggled up beside her father. "And the good news is she's here to stay!"

Amid the shouts and cheers, Clay waived his hand to quiet the crowd. "It seems that, once again, Clay Morrow's DNA proved a bit too much for baby girl's piece of shit birth mother to handle. She has relinquished all of her rights and has signed custody over to me, meaning that my baby girl will never have to leave Charming again!" Bending down to kiss his daughter on the top of her head, Clay smiled. "And there ain't a damn thing Jolene's P.O. can do about it! So welcome home, baby girl!"

Gemma was the first after Bobby to wrap her arms around Jolene. "I'm so happy, baby. This is where you belong."

As the rest of her SAMCRO family hugged and welcomed Jolene home, Clay pulled his old lady aside. "I think we need to have a celebration Saturday night right here, family only. What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea." Gemma smiled as she wrapped her arms around her husband. "Have I told you how proud I am of you?"

"Not recently, no." Clay grinned.

"Well, I am."

"Even though I left you out of the loop on this?" Clay said, nodding at Jolene, who was currently being squeezed within an inch of her young life by Big Otto.

"Yeah, in spite of that. I know I tend to get a little—" Gemma started.

"Crazy?" Clay joked.

"When it comes to my family, yes and I won't apologize for it either."

"I guess I wouldn't have it any other way. But now that Jolene's in the clear, I still mean what I said. As far as I am concerned, the last six months never happened and it's a dead subject. Understand?" Clay used the tip of his sausage-sized index finger to push Gemma's chin up so that his blue eyes looked directly into hers. "I'm serious."

Gemma sighed. "I got it, I got it. Now let me go. I've got a party to plan."

* * *

Finally escaping Big Otto's bear hug, Jolene smiled as she turned to find Jax watching her intently, patiently waiting his turn to wrap his arms around her. Unconsciously biting her lip, Jolene started walking towards him, forcing the scowl to fall from his face thinking that maybe she had been saving the best for last. Jax was about to swagger his way towards her when Piney suddenly grabbed Jolene's arm and yanked her through the Clubhouse door.

The impromptu and unofficial welcome home party had moved inside and the music was blaring as celebratory toasts made their way around the Main Room. Clay was holding court while puffing on one of his cigars as he related their earlier encounter with McAllister. Seizing Clay's distraction as an opportunity to break out his Gold Label Patron, Piney led his drinking buddy to the bar. Jax entered the Clubhouse just in time to watch Jolene down a shot of tequila with Piney right under her father's nose. Before he could take a step towards her, Jax was foiled again as Jolene was swept up and twirled around by Lowell, who led the charge of mechanics into the Clubhouse to welcome her home.

As Lowell, Dog, and the rest celebrated the return of their favorite apprentice, Jolene saw the scowl return to Jax's face. Noting his frustration with a slight smirk on her face, Jolene watched with a mixture of disappointment and delight as Jax stalked off to his dorm. He looked pissed. Jolene quickly downed another shot of tequila and waited a couple of beats before excusing herself, consciously restraining herself from running after Jax.

Finding the door to his dorm wide open, Jolene was wondering where he had taken off to when she heard his toilet flush. Smiling, she was crossing the room when Jax suddenly yanked the bathroom door open. In an instant, the scowl fell off his face again as he flashed her a brilliant and sexy smile.

Stopping short, Jolene crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm starting to think you're the only one not happy that I'm officially home."

"Not happy? Darlin', I would've had better luck trying to kiss the Pope's ring than getting anywhere near your ass before." Jax quickly closed the gap between them. "Come here." He pulled her into his arms. Jolene held onto him by the waist and squeezed as Jax hugged her to his chest and nuzzled her hair before dropping a kiss on her head.

"Where have you been?" Jolene, feeling way too good in his arms, reluctantly pushed Jax away. "My dad's lockdowns are worse than solitary confinement. At least those inmates get to go outside for an hour a day. I really could have used your company, you know." She sauntered over to Jax's bed and sat down, crossing her legs as she leaned back onto her hands.

Jax's eyes drank in the amazingly beautiful picture she made perched on his bed. Before he could stop himself, Jax once again let his overactive imagination improve the vision before him by picturing her naked with her gorgeous midnight curls draped over her incredible tits. Jolene's eyes were riveted to his mouth as, without thinking, Jax licked his lips.

"Like what you see?" Emboldened by her under-the-radar tequila shots, the words were out of Jolene's mouth before they even registered with her brain.

Jax flashed her a half grin. Shit, if that wasn't an invitation to pounce, he didn't know what it was.

"What if I said no?" Jax teased, as he shrugged his shoulders casually.

"I'd advise you to stay out of any poker games tonight 'cause your bluff could use some work." Jolene smiled knowingly.

Jax rubbed his goatee with his hand to hide a smirk. "And what if I said I did?"

Jolene tossed her hair over her shoulder and laughed, a slight blush staining her cheeks. "Then I'd say close the door and come sit next to me."

Riveted to the spot, Jax found himself contemplating the suggestion. "Don't tempt me, Jo." He warned good-naturedly, even though he was pretty damn close to forgetting the boundaries he had set up for himself.

Now it was Jolene's turn to moisten her lips nervously. "I tempt you? Well, that's a step in the right direction."

Jax laughed as he ran his hands over his face. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

"Neither do you."

"Really?"

Jolene nodded. "I think you genuinely believe that you are incapable of treating me any better than a sweetbutt and you're hesitating because you don't want to hurt me." She started explaining. "In fact, it's the opposite. Deep down, you know it wouldn't be business as usual with me and it scares you. You don't want to get serious about anyone because _you_ don't want to get hurt again."

"Is that so?" Jax crossed his arms over his chest, a sure sign to Jolene that she had hit the nail on the head and now he was building up his defenses.

"Absolutely," She smiled. "But there's really only one way to know for sure, Jax."

"And that would be?"

"Close the door and come sit next to me." Jolene beamed wickedly at him as she pushed her denim jacket off her shoulders.

Mentally throwing caution to the wind as his eyes were assaulted by the snug-fitting plaid button down she was wearing, Jax was about to shrug out of his cut when Juice came flying into the room.

"Hey! There you are." Juice was smiling like a mental patient. Both Jax and Jolene turned their fiery gazes at him, confusing Juice. "Um, your Uncle Elvis is looking for you." He directed at Jolene.

"Gee, thanks." She replied sarcastically as she got up from the bed. "That'll teach you for not closing the door first." Jolene whispered with a smirk as she walked past Jax and out the door.

Coming to his senses, Jax heaved a sigh of relief. "Yo, Juice." He called out to his Prospect as Juice was about to follow Jolene down the hall.

Finally realizing that he had unknowingly cock-blocked his sponsor, Juice braced himself to be on the receiving end of Jax Teller's notorious temper.

"I'm so sorry, man. The door was open and I didn't think—"

Jax raised one hand, effectively shutting Juice up. "Shut up and listen. In case you haven't noticed," He started, walking towards Juice while lighting a cigarette. "My _stepsister_ is bound to attract a lot of unwanted attention. I'm tasking you with keeping an eye out for her whenever Ope and me are not around. Your top rocker depends on it, you got that?"

"Absolutely." Juice nodded, grateful his sponsor wasn't going to rip his nuts off and ram them down his throat.

Watching as Jax swaggered out of the room, Juice face palmed himself. Considering the new and improved Jolene Morrow, Juice decided he was better prepared for dealing with an army of Mayans than protecting the President's daughter from a gang of horny bikers and hang-arounds.

* * *

_Donna should be finishing her shift right about now. She sure as shit is in for the surprise of her life._

Jolene tapped her hands on her steering wheel as she flew down street heading towards Nicky's Diner.

Yesterday's meeting with McAllister had been extremely satisfying. Unable to counter the moves made by her father and Scott Rosen, the P.O. had no choice but to accept Jolene's return to Charming and her reunion with her SAMCRO family. With her community service with Habitat for Humanity set to start the following Saturday, Jolene had the entire weekend free to celebrate her return to Charming openly and to touch base again with her bestie for life, Donna Lerner.

Pulling into the parking lot, Jolene hopped out of her car and walked through the door of the diner. It hadn't changed a bit in the six months that Jolene had been gone and as usual it was pretty dead in the middle of the afternoon.

Jolene saw Donna shrugging into her zip-up hoodie. The petite girl with the sable-colored hair grabbed her bag and waving to her coworkers, swung around to head for the exit when she caught sight of Jolene.

As she walked towards the exit, Donna thought that the young woman headed her way looked somewhat familiar and then suddenly, she let out a scream that, as one customer later related, "Shaved ten years off my life."

Both girls ran towards each other and, simultaneously laughing and crying, wrapped their arms around each other as they jumped up and down.

Nicky, a mountain of a man who had nearly dropped the apple pie he had taken out of the display case to cut and serve to a customer, demanded, "Donna, have you lost your damn mind? This is an eating establishment, not a football field. Go tackle your friend outside."

"Sorry, Nicky. My bad." Grabbing her best friend, Donna pulled the girl outside to the parking lot. Whipping around to take a good look at Jolene, Donna's mouth dropped open as her brown eyes took in the sight before her.

"Okay, stop the press. Who the fuck are you and what have you done with my short, skinny, and flat-chested girlfriend?"

Jolene preened as she put a hand on a cocked curvy hip. "D, meet the new and improved Jolene Morrow."

"No shit!" Donna exclaimed. "What the hell was your mother feeding you out there?"

"First, the bitch wasn't feeding me anything that I didn't get my damn self. Second, I guess puberty got lost on its way to Charming and decided to catch up with me in Seattle instead." Jolene wriggled her eyebrows.

"Ho-lee shee-it! Did puberty leave enough tits for anybody else?" Donna's eyes traveled up and down the body of the sexy young woman.

Even though she was seeing it all first hand, Donna still couldn't believe what she was witnessing. Dressed in a pair of tight worn jeans and a white SAMCRO t-shirt, the clothes practically strained at the seams as they tried to keep all of Jolene's new assets from popping free. "You know what? I've got to sit down." Donna announced, her hand on her forehead.

Jolene threw open her car door. "Girl, get in 'cause I have a lot to tell ya."

Donna climbed over the gear shift to the passenger side and flung her handbag in the back seat. "First off, let's get some things straight. Do you mind telling me why the hell I haven't heard from you in over three months? If I had a dollar for every time I called that damn cell phone of yours, I could buy me that new leather jacket I've been wanting."

As much as Jolene had been looking forward to seeing Donna, she knew that she was going to get called out on the carpet for ducking her calls.

"I know, D and I'm really, very sorry."

Donna sighed as she put a hand on her arm. "Was it bad?" She half-whispered.

"When it didn't suck balls, yeah, it was awful." Jolene replied. Seeing the sad look on her bestie's face, she said, "Don't give it a second thought, D. There was nothing that you or anybody else could have done. And I wasn't just ducking you. I wasn't calling my dad either. It was just easier not to talk to anyone from Charming, that way I wouldn't miss everyone so badly."

"I guess I can understand that," Donna sighed. "But that still doesn't explain why you're back here. I didn't think I would see you back in Charming until you turned eighteen."

"Yeah, me too, but my egg donor had a change of heart." Jolene hated lying to her friend, but she was committed to sticking to her story, as if Pretty Ricky never happened. "Valentina decided that she couldn't handle taking care of a teenage daughter."

"You didn't say, but I'm willing to bet she couldn't handle all of this." Donna said, indicating Jolene.

Jolene smiled. "You know, I always said you were a smart chick."

"Technically, I don't know if I can't say that I blame her. I mean, damn, Jo, you are one hot mama. When did everything—" Donna waived her hands around Jolene's new assets.

"Erupt?" Jolene snickered. "About three months into my prison sentence. It was almost like one night I went to sleep and woke up the next morning unable to stand up without tipping over." She popped out her chest for effect.

"Shit, I'm sure your ass balances you out, though!" Both of the girls cracked up. Donna shook her head. "You are armed to the teeth, sweetie, and we both know how much bikers love curvy asses."

"One hot blond biker in particular." Jolene smirked.

"Girl, have you seen him yet?"

"He and Ope picked me up from the airport and D, get this—at first he didn't realize it was me." Jolene practically squealed.

"I bet! So, come on, dish." For the next half an hour, Donna got a blow-by-blow account of Jolene's reunion with her old man, plus a recounting of her recent meeting with her P.O. to announce her permanent escape from Seattle.

"Now that I'm back home for good and now that I got some bait on my hook, I have only one object on my mind, other than completing my damn probation."

Rolling her eyes, Donna grinned. "Let me guess. That one object being Jackson Teller?"

"Damn straight." Jolene smiled.

"That sounds good on the surface, Jo," Donna conceded. "But what about your J.B. status?"

Jolene wrinkled her nose. "J.B. status?"

"Duh, _jail bait_. Your body may have caught up, but your age hasn't. You're still 17, right?"

Her friend blew off her assessment. "Puh-leese. Six months is nothing in the big picture, especially in the MC world."

"I don't know a thing about the MC world, but in this world right here, six months can translate to 5-10 years in the pokey for Jax should the long arm of the law catch wind. But ten will get me twenty that, should your dad get to him first, your stepbrother won't have to worry about dropping the soap in no showers."

Jolene gave her friend the stink eye. "I'm gone for six months and you've already forgotten my number one rule regarding Jax?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." Donna winced slightly at Jolene's ferocious glare. "Jax Teller, the young golden god, the Prince of Charming, your blond wolf, who is the love of your life and is in no way, shape or form your 'brother', step or otherwise."

"Thanks. Glad we got that straight." Jolene crossed her arms under her chest.

"So what's the plan, Stan?"

"You're gonna have to give me a minute as I just got back, you know. But whatever it is will hopefully be enough to keep him in my orbit."

Donna grinned at her girl. With the new body to match her attitude, Jolene may just have a chance. "Then let the siege begin. And may the best woman win."

* * *

For once, the SAMCRO Princess could fully enjoy a party.

Just about anyone in town knew that the SAMCRO Clubhouse was the place to be to get the party started, be it the after-Church throwdowns on Fridays or family-only get-togethers. It was safe to say that hundreds of parties were held at the Clubhouse each year and Jolene had attended her fair share of them since her arrival in Charming at age six.

However, by the time Jolene had turned thirteen, Gemma had drafted her into her army of unpaid slave labor for every SAMCRO event, whether a party at the Clubhouse, Sunday Dinner, or any one of Gemma's charity functions, like the Taste of Charming. But tonight's shindig was an exception. The celebration of the return of Jolene Morrow was in full swing and the guest of honor intended to enjoy the hell out of it.

Because the Clubhouse could only be described as a disaster zone after last night's after-Church party, Gemma had gone into party-planning drill sergeant-mode. Quickly recruiting an army of reluctant volunteers, including every sweetbutt, croweater, and Prospect she could get her hands on, Gemma demanded that they clean the Main Room and kitchen, as well as every bathroom in the Clubhouse, from top to bottom.

For once, Jolene had not been drafted to pull clean-up duty. Looking around, Jolene couldn't recall a time when the Clubhouse had been so clean and free from the stench of liquor, weed, and pussy. Instead, every surface gleamed brightly. The long table underneath the wall of mug shots, as well as the bar across from it, was groaning under the weight of all of the food that Gemma and several old ladies had spent most of the day preparing. And no gathering could be complete, as far as Jolene was concerned, without a batch of Uncle Elvis's homemade Chili and jalapeño corn bread.

The Main Room was packed with patches, their old ladies, and their offspring. The room was noisy with talking, laughter, and the constant din associated with so many children running around. The jukebox was blaring and the liquor was flowing freely as guests continually went back to the buffet to refill their plates.

Clearly, a good time was being had by all.

Jolene watched her father playing a hand a poker with his brothers and roaring with laughter as he pulled towards him a large pile of chips. She smiled to herself as the new Prospect threw his losing hand of cards on the table. As she surveyed the room, her smile got even wider, happy to see her family having a great time.

"So, are you going to take the shot, or are you going to stand there all night posing?"

Jolene looked over her shoulder and met Jax's blue eyes appraising her, a slight smirk on his face as he took a drag from his cigarette.

_I hope he's enjoying the view_ _. After all, I dressed the merchandise for his eyes only tonight._

In fact, Jolene had spent most of the previous night going through the meager wardrobe she had left behind when she went to Seattle. Finding that most of the clothes she had were now completely unwearable after her recent "growth spurt," Jolene had dragged her BFF to Stockton early in the morning to find the perfect outfit to reel in the object of her affections.

Jolene wasn't interested in dressing like a croweater or a sweetbutt. After all, Jax had been on the receiving end of that fare for years. Although Jolene had been tempted to flaunt a little bit of skin, not all of her bruises from her assault had completely faded, even though it had been almost ten days since she had returned home. Besides, Jackson Teller needed to see the difference between cheap ho-bags and old lady material.

Judging from her father's general reaction towards her, Jolene had a pretty good idea that he was probably the only one in her family that had not noticed the physical transformation she had undergone. There was no point in calling her father's attention to her new body and her all-out pursuit of the love of her life. Hoping to keep her father in the dark for just a little while longer, Jolene decided that it would be best to dress a little more conservatively.

Or at least it would _seem_ that way.

Jolene had spent nearly two hours fussing and primping in the mirror of her bedroom and it had been well worth it. The outfit she had chosen was simple, even a little plain as she showed no skin whatsoever. But when put over a curvaceous figure wearing four-inch black leather boots, large sexy silver hoop earrings, with her hair freshly washed and brushed within a inch of its life and the merest hint of make up, Jolene was stunning.

And it was obvious from the heat she saw reflected in Jax's blue eyes that she had scored a direct hit.

_What the hell is she doing to me?_

For the last two hours, Jax had felt like he literally didn't know if he was coming or going. The foursome—Opie, Donna, Jolene and himself—had commandeered the one pool table and although they had managed to play three games so far, he had lost every single one. He simply could not concentrate on the game.

_I feel like a fuckin' teenager and s_ _he's loving every minute of it._

Bending over her pool cue, Jolene's long limbs were encased in skin tight denim, accented by a chain belt slung low on her hips and called attention to her curvy ass. Wearing a sexy green turtleneck that clung to her awesome rack, she made an amazing picture. With every bit of skin covered, Jax felt like he was practically licking his chops at the thought of actually seeing Jolene in nothing but her warm golden skin.

_And she knows it._

Jolene flipped her hair out of her line of vision and smiled at the tall blond biker, who, she was pretty sure, was holding up the wall so he wouldn't melt into a puddle on the floor, and gave him a flirty smile.

"Hold your horses, easy rider. For the life of me I don't know why you're in such a hurry to get beat—again." Taking her shot, Jolene neatly sunk two balls in the corner pockets. Walking around the pool table, Jolene stopped close enough in front of the outlaw biker that he could smell the raspberry vanilla scent of her hair.

"It's not over yet, darlin'." Jax managed to reply, his throat suddenly gone dry.

Jolene boldly grabbed the long-neck bottle of beer that Jax had been holding, her slim fingers brushing lightly over his. Flinging a quick look over her shoulder to make sure her father was otherwise occupied, Jolene took a long, drawn out sip. Her tongue slowly licking a drop of beer off her bottom lip, she handed the bottle back to Jax.

"What you need to do is to stop whining and take your ass whupping like a man." Turning back to the table, Jolene sunk her next shot. Facing Jax once again, she skimmed her hand across the front of his cut until it came into contact with the black SAMCRO t-shirt he wore underneath. "Besides, I thought you were kind of enjoying the show." Jolene whispered coyly.

Watching her hand discreetly caressing his chest, Jax suddenly flashed her a wolfish grin. "Oh, I most certainly am, darlin'."

On the opposite side of the pool table, Donna shook her head and nearly snickered out loud.

_I really need some popcorn. This is better than any soap on the boob tube._

Jax and Jolene had been dancing around each other for the last two hours. Since the day they met, Donna had known about Jolene's obsession with becoming Jax Teller's old lady. For a long time, as much as she loved her bestie, Donna had figured that Jolene was living in deep denial.

But now, after watching the two joking, laughing and flirting with each other, Donna was starting to believe that maybe Jolene might just pull it off. As happy as she was for her friend, Donna couldn't help but wonder if the two were on the same page. Jolene believed whole-heartedly that she was destined to have a "happily ever after"-type romance with Jax Teller. But what if after bagging her, Jax reverted back to his bad boy pussy-chasing ways, breaking Jolene's heart? Only time would tell because right now, both Jax and Jolene seemed focused on the same goal.

Looking over at her poor mammoth of a boyfriend, Donna couldn't help but chuckle. He was completely clueless as to what was going on between their two best friends. Donna shook her head as Opie sidled up to Jax just as he was holding Jolene by her slim waist, about to bend her over the pool table to guide Jolene's hand as she lined up what she claimed was a difficult shot. Jax growled at his best friend as Opie stepped in between them to pass him a shot of Jack.

Donna giggled behind her hand. _Man, that was cock-blocking at its best!_

 _Seemingly_ oblivious, Opie raised his eyebrow. "What's the matter with you, bro? You seem on edge."

Flashing a hot blue glare at his wingman, Jax downed the shot in one gulp. "Nothing." Jax replied as he watched Jolene easily sink the shot without his help and then make her way over to Donna at the bar. "I need to get blown." Jax thought out loud, a pair of pretty pink lips causing a distraction from clear across the room.

 _Yeah, but by who_ , Opie thought, barely covering his grin as he downed his drink.

Virtually ignoring his friend, Jax tried to make sense of the many different directions his mind was veering in. In his three years as a patch, or in his entire life really, Jax could not remember ever being this conflicted about pussy. Shit, the mixed signals he's been throwing at Jolene lately were going to get his ass in trouble and not just with his green-eyed and hot-blooded vixen either. Jax had to believe that Clay could not be so blind as to not see his daughter's transformation. More telling, Jax felt that Jolene was doing little, if anything at all, to hide her pursuit of him. Although he and his President had managed to mend fences, Jax got the impression that Jolene's return had placed him back in the shithouse as far as the older man was concerned. And Jax couldn't really blame him.

_I've already brought more trouble into_ _her life than anyone else since Clay first brought her to Charming._

Watching Jolene, who was now giggling with her best buddy, Jax had the strange feeling that they were planning Jolene's next assault on his ass like a general and his second-in-command preparing for battle. Jax was pretty much used to women chasing after his jock. What he wasn't used to was not wanting to run away when he knew he should.

Remembering their conversation in the coffee shop in Seattle and how confident and resolute Jolene had been about them being meant for each other, Jax made a firm resolution.

She was playing with fire, but he was determined not to let either one of them get burned.

* * *

_I_ _'m really in the shit now!_

Lying on his bed in his dorm, Jax slowly eased into a sitting position. When the queasy sensation in his belly finally subsided, he brought his legs over the side and put his hands on his knees to push himself off the bed. Staggering to his feet, Jax swayed unsteadily as he made his way slowly to the window where the blinding California sun shone through the wide open slats of the new window treatments Gemma recently had installed.

Closing the dark wood blinds with a sharp snap, Jax winced as the noise reverberated in his already-pounding head, but at least the room was now dark. Knowing that only a hot shower could possibly send his hangover into oblivion, the naked biker walked into his bathroom and, flipping on the water to run just this side of scalding, let the heat course over him and soak into his tired muscles.

Jax was in no condition to actually do anything more than stand in the steady pulsating stream of hot water. He really wanted to bang his head on the wall, but that would require way too much effort on his part.

_I_ _'m such a horny fuckin' bastard._

Jax really wished he couldn't remember exactly what had happened last night. In fact, he knew that permanently attaching himself to a bottle of Jack after the party had more to do with trying to forget what happened than just getting his drink on.

_And for fuck's sake, it didn't work!_

Turning around to lean against the wall, Jax slowly sank down until he was sitting on the floor of the small stall. Rubbing his face with his hands, he finally allowed himself to remember what went down in that blasted kitchen.

* * *

The party to celebrate Jolene's homecoming was rocking. While the guest of honor was bouncing around the Clubhouse having a great time, Jax was brooding like a miserable prick.

The James T. Kirk of the MC World was having some serious issues concerning the SAMCRO Princess. Always the pussy magnet of the mother charter, Jax had been hip deep in women since his teens. And Jax, always a fan of vagina, had pretty much taken advantage of the pussy parade that always seemed to beeline its way to him, even before, but most definitely after, his first girlfriend had left town.

The problem with Jolene, besides the fact that she was his President's jail bait daughter was that she did not fit in the category of _just pussy_.

Jolene had always been his friend, his family, his little grease monkey who, if given the opportunity, would happily follow him all over Charming. The loving, yet chaste relationship that they had developed over the years was very important to him. Lately, however, Jax had to keep reminding himself of that because he suddenly found himself in the middle of a dick-fueled power struggle. It seemed that the rational and logical outlaw biker he knew he was, was pitted against Jolene and his throbbing manhood with a mind of its own, both of whom seemed determined to see his ass into an unmarked grave in the middle of the desert.

He was having a hard enough time trying to fight his own weaknesses. After all, like most men, he was more inclined to listen to the head between his two big feet than the one on top of his shoulders. But having to fight Jolene off in addition to fighting his own urges was proving difficult.

And she wasn't helping the situation at all.

It was amazing what confidence a new body could give a girl, although if he was honest, Jolene had always had more than enough confidence for her and a dozen other women. The fact that she had been gunning for him ever since she was a pre-teen had to be Charming's worst kept secret, but now that she had a loaded weapon in her arsenal in the form of one tight, luscious body, Jolene was holding _nothing_ back.

And being a typical, red-blooded man, there was only one way Jax knew how to deal with all that, but he certainly wasn't ready for his one-way ticket into that unmarked grave.

In retrospect, what Jax should have done was quit the party early, taking a ride to clear his head, and if that ride just so happened to take his ass over to Cara Cara, so much the better. The Porn Palace was the place to go if he wanted to work out his sexual frustrations without any strings attached whatsoever.

Instead, Jax stayed at the party and with his best friend egging him on, steadily downed shot after shot of Jack. The more he drank, the more he watched Jolene's ass sashaying all over the Clubhouse, and the more the whole idea of staying away from her was starting to sound really fuckin' stupid to him. That's when it hit him.

 _I_ _need to sober up and quick_.

Pulling himself off of the whiskey-fueled ledge he was teetering on, Jax went into the kitchen to get himself a bowl of Bobby's chili.

_I'll get a bowl, put myself in the poker game with my brothers and keep as far away from my new addiction as possible._

Jax had just filled a bowl of the hot spicy chili when the hairs on the back of his neck tingled. He closed his eyes, the low, sweet voice coming from mere inches behind him caressing his senses.

"That's a really good idea."

His mouth suddenly filled with cotton, Jax turned around to find Jolene, who was so close to him that they would have to get naked to be any closer.

Looking down at the seafoam green eyes that were smiling almost wickedly at him, Jax was proud that he managed to reply without sounding like some damn teenager with a squeaky voice.

"There's a bowl right over there, darlin'," Nodding at the stack on the counter. "Help yourself."

Jolene slowly shook her head. "I don't want any of that chili."

Jax swallowed the lump in his throat. "No?" He asked warily.

Reaching for the spoon that was in the bowl he was holding, Jolene replied softly, "I want some of _this_ Chili." Flicking a pink tongue between her lips, Jolene smiled as she took a spoonful of the spicy chili. "Hmm, it's _really_ good." She almost purred.

Having trapped her prey up against the stove, Jax was literally frozen to the spot. Dishing up another spoon out of his bowl, Jolene held it in front of his lips. "Here, take a bite."

With the suddenly-hot blue eyes on her face, Jolene was almost mesmerized when Jax slowly opened his mouth to take in the chili.

Jolene's chest was heaving slightly. _I think I'm going to pass out_.

As the hot and spicy chili cut a path down his throat and into his stomach, Jax felt like he was on fire. Seeing the happy, knowing glint in Jolene's beautiful eyes, Jax finally threw in the towel.

Nearly tossing the bowl of chili on the counter, Jolene let out a little yelp as Jax grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the far corner of the kitchen, out of view of any of the party guests. Lifting Jolene as if she were as light as a feather, with her legs automatically wrapping themselves around his waist of their own accord, Jax pressed her back up against the wall.

_Just a little taste. Just one taste and I promise I'll let her go._

As Jax's mouth started its descent towards her own, Jolene's allowed her eyes to drift close in anticipation of her first ever real kiss from the love of her life.

 _Finally. I've finally got him where I want him_.

But after about five seconds, then ten, Jolene cocked her head as she realized that a pair of sinfully hot biker lips weren't being pressed to her own. Popping her eyes open, Jolene's heart sank as she looked into the eyes of a suddenly sober outlaw.

It almost killed him to pull himself back, but fortunately, what little good sense Jax had left finally made him see what he was doing. Releasing his hold on Jolene, he allowed her to slip down so that she was standing on her own two feet.

"That was close." Jax tried to smile, but he could see his own want and disappointment reflected in her eyes.

"Not close enough." Jolene almost whispered. "Why'd you stop?"

 _Good question_.

Jax was sure there was a common sense reason why he had stopped himself from plundering her mouth with his, but he'd be damned if he could think of that reason right now. Intoxicated by her sweet flowery scent, Jax realized he still wasn't in the clear as he looked down at her dainty hands on his waist gently urging him towards her. Burying his hands in the thickness of her hair at the back of her neck, Jax pulled her towards him and planted a chaste kiss on her frontal lobe. Not what she was expecting, Jax heard Jolene whimper softly as he let her go, quickly leaving the kitchen—and her stormy green eyes behind—as he made a beeline for his bike.

They were playing with fire and Jax found himself liking the heat they created. A lot. Next time—because he knew there would be a next time—Jax wasn't so sure he would be able to pull himself away from the flame. The rational part of him was dreading that moment.

The primordial part of him couldn't wait.

* * *

Jax had barely managed to make it out of the lot before he pulled over, realizing that he was too drunk to be riding.

Sitting on the curb, Jax lit a cigarette and figured he'd stay put until he felt like he could make it back to the lot. Hopefully, he could high-tail it into his dorm room without being accosted by a feisty young girl barely 110 pounds soaking wet. Lost in his thoughts, Jax didn't see the Charming PD cruiser pull up in front of him.

Chief Wayne Unser stepped out of car and slammed the door. "You alright, son?" The balding Chief looked down at the young biker.

"Yeah, I'm a'ight. Was going for a ride, but I decided that it might not be a good idea."

The Chief looked at Jax's red-rimmed eyes and flushed face and astutely came to the same conclusion. "You thought right. You wanna ride back to the Clubhouse?"

"NO!" Jax said a little too loudly and, as the Chief narrowed his eyes, Jax tried to rein in his emotions and speak calmly. "Nah, man. I'm cool."

"Well, I don't think it's a good idea for you to stay out here. You want to sober up, why don't you come down to the station house? You can hang in one of the cells."

Jax thought about it for all of ten seconds. "Why not? I could use a little down time."

The Chief helped the young biker get up from the curb and into his squad car. As he pulled away, leaving behind the young man's ride knowing that no one in Charming would dare touch it, the officer smiled to himself.

_Never thought I'd_ _also be pulling babysitting duty for SAMCRO._

* * *

After spending a couple hours in one of Unser's cells, Jax managed to make it back to the Clubhouse after the party had broken up for the night. Grabbing a bottle of Jack from behind the bar, Jax spent the next several hours drinking and thinking about what nearly happened earlier and how inevitable and right it had felt at the moment, before finally falling asleep in a drunken stupor. Now, sitting on the floor of his tiny shower, Jax kept thinking about how badly he wanted to be with Jolene.

_Shit!_

Feeling himself grow warm and hard at the thought of what could have been the start of something amazing almost happening under his brothers' noses and in the Clubhouse kitchen no less, Jax quickly stood up and switched the tap to freezing cold water.

"Motherfuck!"

As the cold water started to do its job, Jax still couldn't stop thinking about Jolene. She had only been home a little over a week and last night she had proven that she was back with a vengeance. Being the adult in this situation, Jax tried to convince himself that this thing between them couldn't go anywhere.

_I can't give her what she wants—even though I want to more than I ever thought possible._


	6. Men Are From Mars

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.**

* * *

Jax handed the keys of the white Lexus convertible to the blond honey pot that was smiling up at him. The garage was pretty busy and he was doing his extra share to get customers in and out of lot quickly.

"I really appreciate it, sugar." The curvy blond in the short skirt looked up and down the tall, muscular body of the man who had waited on her. Hoping to hook up with the sexy blond, she threw back her shoulders, her generous cleavage on display in the figure-hugging tank top. "Maybe one day you might want to take my car for a little ride." She nodded at her sporty cage, a flirty smile curling her lips.

Jax knew from the light in her eyes that her cage wasn't the only thing he would be riding if he took her up on the invitation, but as he was about to respond, Jax heard a voice call from across the lot.

"Hey, somebody want to bring me a quarter-inch rotor head? The one I got is a piece of shit." Jolene called out while leaning under the hood of a Toyota Corolla. Jax bit his lip as all he could see was her curvy ass—an ass that had his name written all over it—encased in tight-fitting khaki work pants.

As usual, Jax was having a hard time remembering a few facts. Like one, Jolene was his stepsister; two, she was his President's daughter; and three, she was definitely jail bait. Since the teenager had settled back into life in Charming, Jax had to keep reminding himself of those three very important points almost on an hourly basis.

With Jolene home, life had quickly returned to normal and soon, it was almost like she never left. As a result, Jax's life had definitely changed for the better. He found himself spending less and less time on the road and more time at the Morrow household, enjoying the family dinners that Gemma hosted so often, but which had lacked that certain spark when Jolene had been gone.

The fact remained, though, that there was certainly a different young woman who was running around the lot these days. Looking a hell of a lot sexier than the grease monkey tomboy she used to be, Jolene seemed to be dressing in a manner that she knew would flatter and enhance her new attributes. And her new body certainly did new and wicked things for her old T-M shirt that now clung to every curve imaginable.

Finally breaking his gaze away from Jolene, Jax returned his attention to the blond. "Sorry, doll. Not really into cages. We do appreciate your business, so please come again."

Striding off and leaving the buxom blond standing there open-mouthed and in shock at being so summarily rejected, Jax went to one of the large tool chests and pulled out the requested tool. However, by the time he got to Jolene, he found that Tig had already beaten him to it.

Leaning against the car, Tig was eating an apple and shooting the breeze with Jolene while she worked. Jax walked up to them as Tig asked her a question.

"So what's this special talent you have that I've been hearing about, Doll?" Tig asked, forcing a glare from Jax. "What? I'm just making conversation 'cause Lowell and Dog aren't saying shit over there."

Just the day before, Jolene had been shooting the shit while working with some of the mechanics and, somehow, the topic of conversation had turned to the subject of weird and unusual talents.

Jolene shrugged her shoulders, standing up to stretch the kinks out of her back, which thrust her bosom out prominently. "I can hurl on command."

Dragging his eyes away from Jolene's awesome rack straining against the confines of her T-M work shirt and settling on her face instead, Jax looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Darlin', that's the last thing I'd ever thought you'd say."

"What, by sticking your fingers down your throat? Anybody can do that." Tig replied, rolling his eyes as he threw the remains of the apple's core into a garbage can in a two-point shot, and crossed his arms.

"Nope," Jolene explained. "Without sticking anything down my throat, I can force myself to throw up, even if there is nothing in my stomach."

"Who needs to know that?" Jax asked, a little disturbed. "I didn't need to know that."

"Now, wait a minute," Tig said to Jax. "If that's true, that's pretty impressive."

Realizing that she shouldn't be surprised by what would impress Tig, Jolene smiled a little proudly. "It's gotten me out of a lot of awkward situations in Seattle involving the opposite sex. Less humiliating for a guy than a nut punch."

" _Nice_. Although, if I remember your history correctly, you're pretty damn good at those too. Didn't they used to call you the Nut—" Tig started.

"Hey, hey, if you don't want a demonstration of the latter, you won't finish that thought." In her ripe old age of 17, Jolene was a little sensitive about her former nickname.

"No problem, Doll Face." Tig smiled back as Jax shook his head in disbelief. Jax wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that she could actually do it or the fact that she obviously had done it before.

 _Who the hell was trying to push up on her in Seattle?_ Jax suddenly got a noxious feeling in the pit of his stomach as he remembered the two Baristas at the coffee shop.

Trying not to show his true feelings on the subject of Jolene and the opposite sex, or the fact that he wished that she had chosen to crack a few nuts instead, Jax said, "You two really need to stop hanging around each other."

"That won't be a problem." Tig wiped his hands on the oily rag that Jolene had resting on the car's bumper. "I gotta go up to Bluebird and relieve Chibs. There's a whole new crop of fish tacos that I need to oversee." He grinned salaciously.

Jax rubbed his hand on his chin to hide a smirk as Jolene stared at Tig and shook her head in disgust. "Those poor women."

"Aww, don't be jealous, Doll Face. I can always stick around and rape the two of you instead."

As both Jax and Jolene glowered at Tig, the older man shrugged his shoulders innocently. "What? It's a term of endearment." Walking away from them, Tig turned back. "Hey Doll Face, one of these days, I wanna see that hurl on command shit."

"Sure, why not?" Jolene replied as she rolled her eyes.

Stretching her arms over her head and behind her back to loosen up before starting work on the engine again, Jolene's work shirt strained to confine her new growth. Finally giving way, a button popped off, almost taking Jax's eye out.

"Holy fuck, Jo!" Jax almost yelled, his eye stinging from the impact.

"Oh, my God! How did that happen?" Jolene exclaimed. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

Jax held a hand to his right eye as he cursed. "Damn it, you nearly put my fuckin' eye out!" _And in more ways than one,_ Jax thought as he stared at her fantastic rack barely contained in her work shirt with his one good eye.

"Calm down and let me see it." Jolene swallowed the lump in her throat as she stepped right into Jax's personal space. Pulling his hand away from his injured eye, which was tearing furiously from the impact, she examined it closely. Reaching behind Jax and into his back pocket for the bandana she knew he kept there, Jolene gently wiped the tears from his eye. Although it was a little red, there seemed to be no serious harm done.

Jolene did her best to try to ignore the fact that while she was administering to one eye, the other was firmly fixed on her open shirt, which revealed the low-cut wife beater she wore underneath. Jolene smiled to herself.

_That's right._ _Get a good look at the merchandise, baby. It's all for you and nobody else._

Suddenly finding it slightly difficult to breathe, Jax yanked the bandana from Jolene's hand and took a step back. "I'm fine now. Thanks." He said gruffly.

As Jolene watched him swagger away from her and towards the office, she couldn't help but smile to herself. She seemed to be getting pretty good at unnerving him, but she had not achieved the desired result. On the contrary, Jax seemed to be getting better as well, at running away. Jolene bit her lip as she bent down to retrieve her button, sticking it into the pocket of her work pants.

Since her return to Charming, Jolene had decided that someone like Jax might respond better if she afforded him the opportunity to make the first move. Although she had made it plain on more than one occasion that she was open to receiving his advances, her last assault in the Clubhouse kitchen had been a bust. After several hours of drunken flirting, Jax had finally pinned her to the kitchen wall, only to run for the hills just as he was about to close the deal. Jolene hadn't seen him again for the rest of the night and hadn't been alone with him since until now, and only because she had nearly blinded him.

He was definitely sending her mixed signals and, if she knew Jax (which she did), Jolene was willing to bet it was only because he was majorly confused himself. He was fighting what came naturally in order to keep her in the role of his stepsister and teenage daughter of his MC's Prez. Jolene decided that she was going to have to come up with a plan, and soon.

_The time for waiting is over_ _because he's mine. He just doesn't know it yet._

* * *

"Ma, we need to talk." Jax closed the office door behind him and faced Gemma, who was sitting in her chair going over a stack of invoices.

"About what, sweetheart?" Gemma wasn't really paying attention as she flipped through invoices with one hand while she worked a calculator with the other.

"Jolene."

At that, Gemma stopped abruptly and looked up at her son. Noting the hardened look on his face, and his red eye, she removed her glasses and threw them onto the desk. "What did she do to you now?"

Jax sputtered a little before replying, unconvincingly. "She hasn't done anything to me personally. I just think that some changes need to be made in order to forestall some future problems around here."

"And what would those changes be, precisely?" Gemma folded her arms underneath her chest.

"For one, her wardrobe choices." Jax said. "She's not a little girl anymore."

"So I've noticed." _And it seems so have you._

"Good, I'm glad you have because maybe you need to take her shopping, dress her down a little, buy her clothes that actually fit. She's young and impressionable, and I don't think it's a good idea for her to be prancing around the lot like that."

Gemma's wrinkled her eyebrow. The Queen of Charming didn't like her fashion sense being called into question, especially since she had already taken Jolene shopping for a new wardrobe about a week ago.

Neglecting to mention that little tidbit of information to her son, Gemma replied, "Like what? She's wearing her usual garage attire, her T-M shirt and work pants, right?"

"But they're too damn small and she's a too damn big." Jax replied a little heatedly. As Gemma narrowed her eyes at her son, he replied defensively, "I'm just looking out for her as a stepbrother would, that's all." Barely believing he was able to refer to himself as her "stepbrother" without retching, Jax continued. "I would think that's something you would want me to do."

"I know, and I do, Jackson." Gemma stood up and walked over to her son, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind his ear. "I think it's a good thing that you're looking out for her and you're right. I'll take her shopping soon."

"Thanks, Ma, and you might want to consider letting her help you out here in the office from now on, too." Jax started, causing Gemma to do a double-take. "Unless she's planning on working in the garage full-time, I don't see the point of Jolene hanging around in there anymore. All she's doing is causing a distraction among the mechanics."

"Really?" Gemma feigned surprise. Jolene was hardly "hanging around". She had finished working on two cars by mid-morning and was now on her third. If anything, the garage had been more productive since her return as none of the mechanics wanted to be shown up by a teenage girl.

"Yeah, let her help you with paperwork and shit that way you can keep an eye on her too, especially when I'm not around." Jax turned and headed for the door. "I better get back to work. You got something good for dinner tonight?"

Gemma put her hand on her hip. "We're grilling steaks. As usual, there will be plenty."

"Okay, I'll see you tonight."

Gemma sat down again at her desk and folded her hands. She felt a little dumbstruck.

"That was most certainly interesting." Gemma said to no one in particular. "I would like to believe its just brotherly concern, but I'll be damned if I don't know my own son."

After everything that's happened to Jolene, most of which could be laid directly at Jax's door, Gemma was not about to let Jax create the mother of all shit storms. Clay had barely held himself back from killing Jax after the trouble Jolene had gotten into because of her stepbrother, with Jax only recently removed from her husband's shit list.

But Jax was right in at least one sense.

_It's no secret, at least to_ _anyone but Clay, how Jolene feels about Jax. If I want to keep Jax off that list—and breathing—I'm gonna have to keep an eye on_ _both_ _of them._

* * *

_You take a little mini-vacation and the fuckin' world flips upside down._

Kyle Hobart leaned against the green Honda Civic he had been working on since Thursday and lit a cigarette as he watched Jolene Morrow bounce around the T-M lot.

After having another mega fight with his old lady just before leaving for the double protection run with the Club's two rug rats, Teller and Winston, Kyle had decided that he needed a change of scenery. After getting a reluctant go ahead from his President, Kyle had made a solo run down to the Reno charter to take advantage of the legitimate prostitution business that Zeus Esparza, the Reno charter's President, was running for the MC.

_After all, if Golden Boy could_ _take off on a whim to the Disneyland of pussy, why can't I?_

Kyle had been gone for a four-day weekend and had enjoyed the shit out of himself partying with his brothers in the Reno charter. He had almost reluctantly returned to Charming and had promptly crashed in his dorm, his home away from home in recent months. It was a surprise to find out from Bobby Elvis that the SAMCRO Princess had returned home from her forced exile in Seattle.

Personally, as far as he was concerned, Clay's daughter was just another one of the Club's kids. She was a little grease monkey tomboy who had become somewhat handy with a wrench, actually saving Kyle from having to work his ass off in the garage, and that was just fine with him. However, he didn't understand the big deal all of his brothers were making about her return, that is, until he saw her for the first time after she was officially let "out of the closet."

_It_ _'s truly a beautiful thing what that little girl does for her T-M work shirt._

Having a four year old daughter of his own who was the apple of his eye, Kyle had actually felt a little dirty as he eyed the young girl running back and forth on the lot, trash talking with Lowell and some of the other mechanics as she worked.

 _But_ _shit, can anybody really blame me_?

Jolene Morrow had left Charming looking pretty much like a short pole with two small tangerines for breasts and no ass to speak of, and had come back sporting a body to rival that of a Maxim centerfold. Getting to look at her bending over or spread out on a creeper sure made the hours he was required to put in at the garage worthwhile.

_And_ _apparently, I'm not the only one who feels that way._

Looking across the lot, Kyle eyeballed Jax as he exited the office, stopping to joke around with his stepsister. As Jolene blushed, Teller flashed his pearly whites at her, and Kyle could have sworn he saw the young woman almost swoon. Everyone who was anyone knew how Clay's kid felt about her older stepbrother and now that she was back and rocking all the equipment grown boys loved to play with, Jackson Teller was a fucking moron if he didn't hit that shit. But even though Kyle was no fan of the young man, even he knew the Prince of Charming wasn't foolish enough to think he could get away with plucking that particularly juicy apple from the tree.

_Now there's a SAMCRO brat I_ _wouldn't mind seeing exiled._

Kyle had little to no respect for the young biker. Everyone seemed to kowtow to the little turd, but frankly, as far as he was concerned, Teller was a little shit. To his disgust, both him and Opie Winston had gotten spots sitting at the table. As far as he was concerned, he didn't think either one had the stones to cut it as a patch, but nepotism is as nepotism does, and the boy and his sidekick had been patches now for almost four years.

_He may think his shit don't stink, but_ _there's no way in hell I'm letting this asshole to step over me, and I'm going to make sure everyone damn well knows it._

* * *

Sitting in one of Stockton's local diners, Gemma watched as her stepdaughter tore into a fully loaded burger. Gemma smiled to herself as she realized that Jolene's appetite hadn't changed much.

_Too bad I can't say the same for the rest of her._

Gemma was a tough old lady, of that there was no doubt, but she was coming to realize that raising a daughter came with a hell of a lot of baggage. Maybe even too much baggage for her to deal with.

Gemma prided herself as a woman who could handle her shit. That is, unless it involved mother-daughter relationships. With her own relationship with her mother having been such a horrible and painful nightmare, Gemma was grateful she had only ever had sons of her own. Motherhood just enabled a vicious cycle to continue, creating generations of fucked up bitches. Gemma truly believed that women with serious mother issues should be permitted to drown baby girls at birth, thus ending the vicious cycle.

Gemma had pretty much hated her whole bout with puberty and introduction into life as a young woman, which she referred to as the "dark ages", especially when her only "mentor" had been the control freak Rose Maddoc, otherwise known as her mother. Rose, the single reason for Gemma's at-arm's-length relationships with other women, was the deciding factor in Gemma leaving Charming at sixteen.

Now, with her stepdaughter having emerged from her tomboy cocoon, Gemma desperately wished she had had a somewhat normal upbringing. She genuinely loved Jolene but felt absolutely impotent in helping usher her into young womanhood. But somehow, looking at the young woman who had returned from Seattle, Gemma thought that Jolene might have a better handle on becoming a woman than she ever had. There was no doubt that Clay Morrow's daughter knew exactly what she wanted out of life and she was determined to get it.

"Are you gonna eat them fries, too?" Gemma, who had barely picked at her salad, asked as Jolene liberally covered her basket of fries with ketchup until they were practically unrecognizable.

Quirking an eyebrow at Gemma, Jolene put the ketchup bottle down on the table. "That was the plan. Is there a problem?"

"No. No problem." Gemma said nonchalantly. "It's just that nobody's likes a fat old lady."

Taken somewhat by surprise, Jolene chuckled. "First of all, I'm no one's old lady." She started, wondering what mind games Gemma was playing. "And second, my self-esteem is just fine. I know I'm not fat. I'm just a growing girl and all that happy crap."

"Oh no, I'm not saying your fat, sweetheart, but you are getting older and your metabolism tends to slow down with age. That was just my weak attempt at sharing some of my motherly wisdom with ya. If you were a boy, I would have told you to keep your junk wrapped at all times." Gemma smiled good-naturedly. "Trust me, no one can deny that you have certainly grown, and in all the right places no less." She smirked as she took in the vision across the table from her.

The grease monkey had certainly turned into a swan and had spent the entire day making more additions to her new wardrobe to emphasize that fact. Not waiting until they returned home to wear some of her new clothes, Jolene had made Gemma wait for her while she changed in the bathroom of the Stockton Galleria. The dark wash boot cut jeans clung to her stepdaughter's curvy form like the skin on a grape. She wore a red fitted long-sleeved shirt under a cropped black leather jacket and several silver rings on her fingers and dangling earrings. With her long, dark curls flowing freely down her back, Jolene made quite a striking picture if the reaction of the male diners was anything to go by.

_Somehow_ _, I don't think this is what Jax had in mind when he suggested I take her shopping._

The suggestion, however, had been a good idea simply because it would give Gemma another opportunity to talk to Jolene alone. On their first shopping trip, Jolene's BFF had tagged along, so Gemma had no one-on-one time with her stepdaughter. It had been several weeks since the young woman had returned from Seattle and, although her legal problems had been sorted out, neither Clay nor Jolene had shared the reasons for her return. Although Gemma had promised Clay that she would leave the matter alone, Gemma couldn't help but be concerned about Jolene. She figured if she could get her stepdaughter to "volunteer" what had gone down with her egg donor, then technically she would not be going against Clay's edict.

Lighting up a cigarette, Gemma blew a trail of smoke out as she looked at Jolene, who was sipping on a Cherry Coke with a wary eye on Gemma.

"So when did all this happen?" Gemma waived her hand at Jolene's body.

Jolene smirked as she set down her drink. "Oh, this? It was practically overnight. One day, A-cups. The next day, Shazam! Double-D's."

"That must have been interesting."

"To tell you the truth, it took me a while to figure out where to put my arms, ya know." Jolene wrinkled her nose. "And then other stuff just started exploding on me and before I knew it, I was a brand new girl, not that I think Dad has noticed much."

"No, he wouldn't. Fathers have a way of not seeing shit they aren't prepared to deal with," Gemma took another drag on her cigarette. "Especially since you're something of a late bloomer. I always knew it would happen, though."

"Apparently, you were the only one because even I was starting to wonder if anything was ever going to happen."

_Although it would have been a hell of a lot better had it not happened in Seattle._

Jolene was stunned, thinking that her stepmother could read her mind by the look on her face when she heard her next comment.

"I guess your bitter egg donor wasn't too happy about that."

Suddenly Jolene tensed.

_Aww,_ _shit. Should have known that this was going to turn into another fishing expedition._

Jolene had managed for the most part to put off Gemma's little forays into what happened during her Seattle exile, usually changing the subject or beating a hasty retreat from whatever room they happened to be in at the time. But now that they were 30 miles away from home, there was really no place to escape to, so Jolene mentally put on her dancing shoes as she was going to do her best to dance around the issue.

"We never really had much time to interact. You know, with her night job, she pretty much slept during the day while I was up, so it's not like she really had a chance to notice."

 _I find that_ _shit hard to believe_ , Gemma thought.

Gemma had only met Valentina Robles once during a run with JT and the Club to Tacoma. It was clear that Clay was infatuated with the woman and, taking one look at Valentina, it was clear why. She was extremely beautiful and, if Gemma remembered her correctly, Jolene was now her spitting image. But Gemma was always on high alert when around other women, especially those not officially attached to a Son, and Gemma got the impression early on that Valentina was an ambitious, manipulative, and calculating bitch.

Clay, not usually a man that was led around by his dick, was too blinded by an awesome rack and a pretty pair of legs to notice that the Tacoma pass-around was a tweaker willing to spread for anyone with a patch. Gemma had had no doubt that the junkie whore would have dumped Clay in a hot minute if she thought she could make headway with JT. It had killed Gemma a little on the inside when she noticed that Valentina had indeed sparked JT's interest. However, Gemma's reputation as being the toughest old lady to ever ride bitch on the back of her old man's Harley had preceded her. Valentina made sure to keep her distance from the SAMCRO President whenever his old lady was around, which was all the fucking time!

Even Gemma couldn't stretch the truth enough to call her and Valentina acquaintances. However, she was pretty sure that she knew the vain man-eater well enough to surmise that Valentina had taken note of her daughter's new assets and didn't like them one damn bit.

Jolene didn't like where the conversation was headed. The truth of the matter was that the only time Valentina had ever really engaged her in conversation had been to pour all of her bitter resentment into Jolene's ear. Even though Jolene was fairly intelligent and Valentina's blatant hatred for Gemma was quite obvious, some of what her egg donor had said had managed to hit its mark.

" _If your own mother never loved you, what makes you think that bitch your father married ever could?_ _She only married him because she wanted to keep being the fuckin' Biker Queen of_ _Charming. You were just part of the deal she made with the devil. You're just too stupid to see that"._

In spite of having grown up in a loving family environment for the past ten years, Valentina had known the right buttons to push and, just like that, Jolene reverted back to the unloved and abused child with low self-esteem issues she had been before her father had come into her life. Even though she knew that Valentina was a mean and spiteful woman who never got over Clay not deeming her old lady material, Jolene had allowed the negative shit that Valentina had spouted as gospel to fester and affect her for the worse. As a result, already feeling unlovable—because if your own mother didn't love you, how could you expect anyone else to—Jolene was determined to keep what went down in Seattle a secret.

 _There's n_ _o point in giving the world any more ammunition to use against you_.

"As far as I'm concerned, my piece of shit egg donor is dead to me and I'm not really interested in digging up any corpses by revisiting the subject. And neither, it seems, is Dad." Jolene looked Gemma straight in the eye. "I've had a great time, Gem. Thanks for taking me shopping, but maybe it's time we headed back home. I still have some homework to catch up on before I go back to school on Monday."

Gemma smiled thinly. _Well, I guess that's a wrap_. Jolene had been smart to invoke Clay. _He'd give me hell if he knew I had tried to get anything out of Jolene._

Stubbing out her cigarette, Gemma stood up. "Then I guess we better hit the road."

* * *

_Obviously, my mother has no c_ _lue what it means to dress a girl down._

Sitting at a table drinking shots of Jack and chewing the fat with Big Otto and his old lady, Jax watched with narrowed eyes as Jolene sashayed into the Clubhouse, followed closely by Gemma. Both Jolene and his mother, bogged down with too many bags to count, unceremoniously dropped their heavy loads onto one of the couches.

Jax had been hoping that his mother would be able to get Jolene into some clothes that would hide or at least downplay her new assets. Instead, Jax's tongue nearly fell out of his mouth. The new fitted leather jacket she was wearing flattered and accentuated Jolene's tiny waist, which played up the heavenly goods both above and below her waist line. Watching her strip off her jacket, Jax rubbed his goatee to make sure he wasn't drooling at the sight of her in the tight shirt and even tighter jeans, which left nothing to the imagination.

That wasn't quite true, Jax mentally kicked himself, as the outfit left plenty for his imagination to play with. Each scenario he envisioned, however, included every stitch of clothing she wore in a pile on the floor as he did very bad things to her.

Hastily grabbing the bottle of Jack, he poured himself a three-finger shot. _I guess the Gap was out of burlap sacks,_ Jax thought bitterly as he downed his drink in one gulp.

Noting Jax's reaction, Luann smiled and jumped up to run over to the two women. Flipping her long blond extensions over her shoulder, she squealed, "Oooh, goodies. What did you get?"

"The question, Luann is not what did I get, but what _didn't_ I get." Jolene smiled, her green eyes twinkling. "I have a newfound love for retail therapy. I never realized how much fun it is being a girl."

"Baby girl, did you melt my plastic again?" Clay walked out of the chapel doors upon hearing the girly squeals that signified that his daughter and old lady had returned.

"Not quite, but there may not be much left." Jolene teased, crossing the room to wrap her arms around her father's waist and plopped a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, Dad."

"Don't thank me. After your trip to the Mall last week, I thought you already had enough clothes to open up your own boutique. It was Gemma who thought you needed even more shit." Clay play-grumbled, puffing on one of his favorite cigars.

Jax practically glared at his mother. _What the fuck_? So it was Gemma all along who was responsible for tricking Jolene out in all that new and, in his mind, inappropriate, shit she had been wearing.

Avoiding her son's flinty blue-eyed stare, Gemma smiled. "Well, she is a growing girl and all that happy crap." She cheekily quoted her stepdaughter.

Luann grabbed one of the bags and pulled out a pair of low-rise jeans. "Oh sweetie, with your ass, these will definitely cause a sensation among the male population in your school."

 _Male_ _population?_ Jax pinched the bridge of his nose as he visualized himself going on a murder spree. _What the fuck is wrong with me?_

Luann continued. "But you need the right undies. I hope you got plenty of thongs—"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Clay bellowed, pointing a finger at Luann. "Stop talking porn to my kid!"

Luann crossed her arms under her impressive implants—and Big Otto's new favorite toy. "Oh, Clay, chill out. 'Thong' is not a dirty word."

 _It is when it's Jolene's ass in one_ , Jax thought angrily.

Jolene cringed when she caught sight of the expressions on both her father's and Jax's face. _I love Luann, but Gemma's right. Sometimes she really does have diarrhea of the mouth._

Luann continued with what she felt was important instruction for every girl on the cusp of womanhood. Reaching into the Victoria Secret's bag that was lying on the couch, she pulled out the sheerest, laciest minute thong that Jax had ever seen in his life. "Thongs are a necessary part a woman's wardrobe. Many great outfits have died tragic deaths because of the lack of proper underwear. Every growing girl needs a good thong. I wear them and I know for a fact Gemma's got her fair share of them, as well and Clay, I _know_ you're real happy about that too. Your old lady still has the ass of a nineteen year old." She exclaimed.

"HEY!" Both Jax and Jolene shouted out together. No child, no matter how enlightened or knowledgeable they felt they were about sex, wanted to contemplate the mental image of their mother in a thong, or their father happily hitting it.

Jolene, however, was feeling much worse about her own current situation than the word portrait of her father tapping her stepmother. Luann was practically parading her drawers through the frickin' Clubhouse and in front of her father no less! Peeking through her fingers as she rubbed her forehead in an effort to hold back the migraine that was threatening behind her eyeballs, Jolene chanced a look in her father's general direction to see how he was handling it.

_Not_ _good._

Clay glared at Luann. The ex-porn star was certainly on the money when it came to Mama Bear, especially as he was particularly fond of that well-toned ass of hers, but it was another thing entirely for Big Otto's old lady to be instructing his baby girl on the merits of wearing barely there underwear. And he certainly didn't want to see Luann handling his daughter's miniscule personal items in the middle of the damn Clubhouse!

_I'm relatively comfortable with ignoring_ _baby girl's "growth spurt" for a little while longer._

"Will you put that shit away already?" Clay practically growled.

Seeing that her father was about to jump off, Jolene tried to take control of the situation, despite her embarrassment. "The discussion involving my underwear is moot anyway as I won't be wearing jeans to school."

 _Aww, fuck!_ Jax groaned inwardly. _How could I forget about that?_

Gemma wrinkled her nose. "Why not?

Rolling her eyes in true teenager fashion, Jolene replied, "Because I have to wear an Excelsior Prep uniform, remember?"

Jax's bowed his head until it rested on his chest. _Jo in a naughty school girl uniform? Is it Christmas already?_

Luann smiled a wide grin as she imagined Jolene in her uniform. "You're going to need a thong under your skirt," A skirt which Luann would bet a hundred bucks was indecently short. Waiving the offending garment in her hands, she continued. "You don't want any panty lines."

Big Otto sat at the table quietly chuckling to himself as he watched his old lady square off against his President. It was obvious that Clay was still in denial about his daughter's new attributes and it was unlikely that he was going to fully acknowledge them anytime soon. But even Otto had to admit that he wasn't too keen on being exposed to Jolene's drawers either.

Taking note of the young biker sitting to his right, whose eyes were riveted on the lacy bit of nothing Luann held in her hand, Big Otto fought to keep himself from busting a gut. But noting Clay's quickly rising ire, Otto decided that Luann was in dire need of some protection. Giving his old lady a pointed stare, to which Luann meekly responded by placing the scrap of lingerie behind her back, Otto stood up and slapped a hand on Clay's shoulder.

"I think we should leave the ladies alone to continue their oohing and ahhing over their shit while we men play a round of pool." Pointing to Jax, Otto said, "Rack 'em up, will ya?"

Jax heard himself swallow the lump in his throat. "Sure. Why not?"

Luann smiled to herself as she returned Jolene's new intimate apparel back to its bag. _Well,_ _I've done my bit to foster a new romance._ _Now, if my little show and tell didn't give Jackson Teller a wake up call and clue him in on what he's missing out on, I don't know what will._

"Jax?"

Turning around, Jax faced a still-blushing Jolene. "What, darlin'?" He almost sighed as he tried not think of Jolene in that white thong, yet not wanting to let go of that mental picture just yet either.

"Is it okay if we use your dorm so I can try on some of my clothes for Luann?" She smiled prettily at him.

 _God, she's killing me_.

As if the image of Jolene wearing that thong under a tiny school uniform wasn't bad enough, the thought of her prancing around his room in nothing but that sexy piece underwear did very little to ease the major wood he was sporting.

_I'm going to hell._

"Sure, why not?" Picking up the bottle of Jack that was sitting on the table, Jax took a healthy swig. _I may not be able to witness it in person, but at least I can think about that itsy bitsy dental floss claiming to be underwear between Jolene's ass cheeks all night long._

Picking up the bottle of Jack again, Jax took another deep pull, forcing him to shudder as he slammed the bottle on the table.

_It's going to be a long_ _fuckin' night._

* * *

"D, it's driving me crazy. What is it with guys and these mind games they play?"

"Girl, didn't you read the memo? Men are from Mars and women are from Venus. Two completely different frickin' planets and God pity the fool who thinks about leaving one planet to go to the other." Donna groused.

Jolene eyeballed her friend warily as they drove down the I-22 heading to Modesto. Donna and Opie were once more in the "off-again" phase of their rollercoaster relationship. As a result, Jolene was sure Gemma had jinxed her because she had gained about five pounds in the last month, thanks to Donna's obsession with Rocky Road ice cream, the only thing she claimed cured her boyfriend blues.

At this point, it seemed that neither girl was lucky in love.

The constant tug-o-war between Donna's parents and Opie was in full swing and as a result, Donna had called a time-out on the relationship, which Opie was none too happy about.

However, Jolene wished all she had to deal with were meddling parents. Her problem was far more serious than her best friend's. The mixed signals she had been getting from the love of her life had her running hot and cold. There was no doubt in her mind that Jax was interested, but thus far she had been unable to get him off of the sidelines and into the game.

Jolene was tired of waiting, which was why they were currently headed to Modesto.

Responding to her best friend, Jolene replied, "Hey, I'm not asking for a freakin' miracle, am I? I just want Jax to buy a clue and make his move already, damn it!" She groused.

"Well, I don't want to rain on your parade—" Donna started.

"Then please don't." Jolene shot back.

"But maybe you're reading him wrong. Maybe all he's really interested in you for is the sex. It is Jax Teller we're talking about after all. And if that's the case, knowing how you feel about him, maybe he's not worth the trouble." Donna explained.

Jolene was shaking her head. "I hear you, D and if it were anyone else, I'd agree, but I know Jax." She turned her head and looked her friend in the eyes. "I've seen the way he's gone through women in the Clubhouse and I've seen the way he looks at me. It's different. Donna, it's in his eyes, he just doesn't know it."

"I hope you're right because knowing you, you're not giving up." Donna replied.

"Damn straight I'm not."

"Good for you, bestie, but take it from me. You can try and try to get a guy to open up, but it's like trying to pry open up a can of beans with a plastic knife. I'm telling you Jo, relationships will drive you to drink."

"At least you're _in_ one." Jolene cringed, too late to stop herself as Donna rolled her eyes. "Not right now you're not, but you know what I mean. You and Ope always work shit out. Me, I've been back almost three months and all I've managed to do is wear out the treads on Jax's kicks he's run away from me so much. Nah," Jolene shook her head. "If I want Jax to see me as a full grown woman ready and willing to be his old lady, we need to spend some serious quality time together. The way to a man's heart may be his stomach for some, but this purchase I'm about to make is the surefire way to a biker's heart."

Pulling into the driveway of a dilapidated small house, Jolene reached for the copy of the _Charming Gazette_ sitting on her dashboard. Circled in red ink was a small ad in the For Sale section of the want ads:

 **GARAGE SALE**  
Furniture, kitchen appliances,  
gardening equipment,  
Used Car and motorcycle.  
Best price offered.

Slamming her car door shut, Jolene sauntered towards the front door. She had a plan, and if it worked, she would be spending a whole lot of time with the love of her life.

* * *

Dirk Newman was not having a good night. As a matter of fact, at the rate it was going, it would probably be his last night on earth, if the angry blond biker and his mountain of a cohort had anything to do with it.

While the Mountain held him up by his shoulders, his face and body were on the receiving end of blows of stunning force from a pair of gloved fists. As he was being pummeled into near unconsciousness, Dirk tried to figure out where the hell he had gone wrong.

The night's events started coming back to him as if he were looking at photos of someone else's good time. He must have signed his own death warrant when he had tried pushing up on that hot bitch at the Clubhouse.

Dirk was a fairly new hang-around at the Clubhouse. The 25-year old resident of Modesto was something of a motorcycle and car enthusiast. Recently released from Chino Correctional Facility for doing short time for boosting a car, he had managed to get a job at the industrial factory in Lodi when he got out. Darkly handsome, Dirk was just shy of six feet with a lean runner's body.

After six months of having all of his dick games put on hold, Dirk was looking to party and thought that by hanging out at the SAMCRO Clubhouse he would be able to score himself some free and easy pussy.

The tall, leggy blonde named Bette had been right up his alley. Her face was a bit road weary, which was no problem for Dirk as she had a tight body and knew how to use it. This he knew from experience as Bette had been quite accommodating the few times he had been at the Clubhouse before.

Unfortunately, tonight the Clubhouse was overrun with some Sons who were visiting from their chapter in Tacoma, so while Bette was busy tending to some asshole named Happy, Dirk had to go looking for somebody else to accommodate his needs, and finally found her.

Dirk had nearly smacked his lips when he first laid eyes on her. Prime rack, tight ass, and yards of fabulously long and curly jet black hair. This wasn't some broad that had been road hard and put up wet. This here was Grade-A pussy just waiting to be scooped up, and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why the Midnight Pussy—as he had quickly taken to calling her in his head—was all alone, virtually ignored by the sausage factory that was the Clubhouse on this particular night.

Nobody seemed to pay her any mind and, as far as he was concerned, that was okay with him as that made her his for the taking.

Heading towards the bar, where she had been sitting while nursing a bottle of water, he found his way blocked by none other than Bette. Pouting her red lips, she cooed, "Where you running off to, sugar? I got a little down time. Maybe we can hang out."

"Sorry, but I'm don't have time for ya right now. I'm about to score me a pretty little piece of that Midnight Pussy over there." So intent was he to beat out anyone else that he didn't notice the frowning Prospect that passed him on his way back from the stock room with a case of Patron for the bar.

Bette put a hand on Dirk's arm. "You might want to pull back on that, honey." She warned. "She's—"

"Just like the rest of the pussy around here—fair game." Dirk interrupted her. "But don't worry, sweetheart. Maybe when I'm done with her, we can all have ourselves a little party together and make a Dirk sandwich." He smirked as he winked at the croweater, slapping her on the ass before making his way towards the bar.

Bette shook her head as she turned away.

_Asshole has absolutely no idea who he's messing with. Too bad really. He won't be much fun to hang around with anymore without a dick._

* * *

"I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of seeing such a beautiful and sexy woman around here before."

Jolene flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked up into a pair of smiling brown eyes. Jolene took quick inventory of the man standing in front of her.

_Not bad._ _I much prefer blonds, but not bad at all._

It was a Wednesday evening at the Clubhouse, which was not a typical party night by any means. It was usually on the quiet side, but some visiting patches had shown up unexpectedly and it seemed like a party was about to break forth at any minute. Jolene had a pretty good idea that she should probably get going before her Dad realized that she was still hanging around and chased her away.

But as she looked at the friendly hang-around, she reconsidered. With Jax and Ope out on a run, Jolene could use the company. After all, it would be nice spending some time with a cool guy that was obviously interested for a change. She missed just hanging around, shooting the shit and laughing.

_And, if I can talk him into a little pool, the evening might turn out to be_ _profitable as well as entertaining._

Jolene smiled engagingly at the man. "You know, I think a man with such impeccable taste deserves a beer on the house. Sit down." She invited.

* * *

Things had been looking pretty good. As a matter of fact, Dirk was convinced he was pretty damn close to closing the deal. Until, that is, the Prospect behind the bar asked for his help in bringing in a couple of kegs of beer, while his Midnight Pussy, named Jolene, excused herself to use the bathroom.

The Prospect, wearing a radical Mohawk led him outside to the side of the garage. The next thing Dirk knew, something had hit him on the back of his head and knocked him the fuck out.

Finally coming to, the first thing Dirk realized was that he was somewhere outside Charming's city limits lying next to his only prized possession. The vintage black 1978 Chevrolet Corvette was the only thing of value his deadbeat father had left him when he died. Dirk had spent three years restoring it to its original specs and it was a real beauty.

Correction. It _had_ been a beauty. The second thing Dirk realized as he stared up at his car in shock was that he was lying on the ground surrounded by shattered glass. Every damn window on the car had been bashed in. Sitting up, Dirk suppressed the urge to throw up and scream at the same time. The driver's side door was dented and hanging off the side of the car slightly askew. The steering wheel had been ripped out and twisted into a figure eight at his feet. The headlights were smashed, his whitewall tires slashed and, as he would later see, his custom-made black leather bucket seats had been torn to shreds.

Staggering to his feet, Dirk yelled, "WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO MY DAMN CAR?"

"It got into an accident. I guess it didn't care for 'Midnight Pussy'."

Whirling around, Dirk saw a tall blond biker who tossed the steel bat that he had obviously used on his car into the dirt. Casually taking a few steps towards Dirk, the biker flicked his cigarette, which he aimed at Dirk's head, and proceeded to wail on his ass.

Dirk vaguely heard a soft voice from above and behind him say, "Hey brother, save some for me." But whatever rage issues the blond biker had, he decided to exercise on Dirk because he wasn't giving him up.

"Sorry, bro. I'm teaching this asshole that SAMCRO women are to be respected in our Clubhouse."

At that point, Dirk had an epiphany. The reason Jolene had no one hanging on her was that she was off limits and he was the only dickwad in the Clubhouse that had been completely clueless.

Dirk was pretty sure he was a dead man.

"Wait, bro, wait!" Dirk pleaded before Jax's fist pounded into his face again.

"You're not my brother." Jax practically snarled, ready to let his fist fly.

"Whoa, whoa, I'm sorry." Dirk started. "I had no idea she was your old lady. I'm sorry."

Jax's fist remained suspended in mid-air as Opie, who had been chuckling all through the beat down, suddenly exploded into full-blown laughter at Jax's reaction to Dirk's comment.

_At least somebody has the balls to say it out loud!_

Angrily grabbing him by the collar of his polo shirt, Jax shook Dirk like a rag doll. "Douche bag, she's my stepsister!" He growled and threw Dirk on the ground next to his car. "Unless you want to end up at the bottom of the lake on the Wahewa Rez along with your car, I recommend you _never_ step foot in Charming or the SOA Clubhouse again. You understand me, fuckwit?"

As he was barely conscious, Dirk just managed to nod his head. Later he would find out that along with two missing teeth and a broken nose, he had suffered a concussion which resulted in permanent double-vision in his left eye.

As the two Sons strode back to the cargo van, Opie snarked. "You could have left me something, bro. She's actually more my sister than she is yours."

Jax stopped in mid-stride and glared at his best friend. "Fuck you." He said petulantly. Pulling himself into the driver's seat, Jax slammed the door and waited for a still-chuckling Opie to get in.

"All kidding aside, bro," Opie started. "Something tells me that this won't be the last time you're gonna have to pull Jolene's ass out of the fuckin' fire."

Jax shook his head slightly as he started the van. Opie had no clue how true that was, and it wasn't any fucking hang-arounds that had Jax worried.

* * *

Juice had been sweating bullets ever since he overheard the hang-around talking shit about getting with Jolene Morrow. In all honesty, Juice couldn't blame him as she was looking mighty fine that evening. Wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans, her hair spilling over her shoulders in a wave of curls, Jolene had looked fresh, clean and wonderfully wholesome in a sexy way. She certainly looked nothing like the tatted up and road weary croweaters or their younger counterparts, the underdressed sweetbutts with over processed hair and pounds of makeup.

Fortunately for Juice, he wasn't stupid enough to mess with his sponsor's stepsister. Certainly not after being given his assignment by Jax himself to keep an eye on her, and for the last three months, Juice had taken his job very seriously.

Besides, he considered Jolene a friend. He had gotten to know her a bit before she had left for Seattle when she worked at the T-M lot, and she had been a really great kid. And now, even though she had come back from her stint in Seattle wearing somebody else's body, she hadn't changed or gotten all stuck up on herself. Jolene was always nice to him and would hang out and talk with him, encouraging him not to get too down at all the hazing he was getting.

So hearing Jolene referred to as Midnight Pussy had tweaked him a bit and Juice was prepared to pound into the asshole himself, after all, that's what his sponsor would expect him to do. But the dirt bag in the polo shirt had sweet-talked Jolene into spending some time with him at the bar, intent on getting himself "a pretty little piece of Midnight Pussy." That was Juice cue and he wasted no time calling Jax on his pre-pay. His sponsor and his sidekick Opie Winston had been on their way back to Charming from a short run to Oakland for Unser Trucking and they had been only 30 minutes away from Charming when he managed to get through to Jax. They must have ended up doing a 100 on the I-22 as they managed to get to the lot in less than 15 minutes.

Juice watched as Jolene returned from circling the Clubhouse for the second time before standing in front of him at the bar.

"Ha, I wonder where he took off to."

"Uh, who are you looking for, Jolene?" Juice asked nonchalantly as he pulled another beer for one of the sweetbutts to deliver to one of the visiting patches.

"I was talking to some guy, just a hang-around." Jolene shrugged her shoulders as she leaned against the bar on her elbows.

"Oh, him. I think he had to leave. He got a call and ran out of here." Juice lied. "It's getting a little crazy in here. You gonna stick around?"

Now that Jax was aware of the major catastrophe that Juice had managed to avert and with Jolene safe, Juice had high hopes that his top rocker was no longer in jeopardy. But he realized that it would probably still be best if he got Jolene out of the Clubhouse before Jax and Opie returned from what had probably been an epic beat down. A hot and angry Jax was liable to do anything, and he would hate for Jolene to be embarrassed in front of everyone in the Clubhouse.

_Please God, make her go home. I've had enough drama for tonight._

Juice held his breath, waiting for Jolene's reply.

"Nah, it _is_ getting a little nuts. Too bad he left, though." Jolene chuckled as she picked up her leather jacket from the bar stool next to her. "We were gonna shoot some pool. I'm sure I could have skinned him out of fifty bucks."

"Yeah, maybe you'll catch him another time." Juice said as she waved goodbye and headed for the exit and her car.

_But somehow, I don't think we'll be seeing that douche bag around here again._


	7. Women Are From Venus

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.**

* * *

"Shit, shit, shit!" Jolene whispered to herself as she had to start over for the umpteenth time.

Working a calculator as she flipped through invoices while simultaneously checking off on the inventory list was probably not the best way to multi-task. She just needed to be over and done with this task so Gemma would finally set her free. How she got dragooned into working in the office in the first place was beyond her. Although Jolene was grateful for the reprieve from having to work in the hot box that was the garage on this unusually warm day, she sure hoped that Gemma didn't intend to keep her in the office permanently. Even though there was at least fifteen years-worth of paperwork and clutter in the office she was dying to get her hands on and organize, Jolene did not foresee a happy ending having to work with Gemma on a daily basis in such a confined space. Dictator Gemma and Type-A personality Jolene made for a volatile situation.

Gemma had claimed she was overwhelmed with office work, but all Jolene had seen her do this morning was drink an endless cup of coffee and smoke half a pack of cigarettes while chatting on the phone with Brenda from the finance department at the bank. Jolene put down the invoices and closed her eyes for almost a minute. With a pathetic little fan perched on the file cabinet circulating hot air, it was as hot as hell in the office of Teller-Morrow Auto. Jolene was having trouble concentrating and needed to re-focus if she wanted to make any headway with the inventory order. Jolene took several deep breaths as she felt the sweat trickle down her back.

 _Okay_ , she said to herself, feeling somewhat better and opened her eyes.

Jolene nearly jumped out of her seat, her hand flying to the flesh exposed by the neckline of her tank top. "Jackson!" She yelped, startled to find Jax slumped casually in the chair by her desk.

Jax smiled, his eyes dancing wickedly over her face, down to her cleavage, and back. She looked irritated, a little sweaty, and totally fucking hot. He had thoroughly enjoyed watching her take deep, relaxing breaths with her eyes closed as his mother was otherwise occupied on the phone.

"Hey, darlin'." He drawled as he picked up the hand she had used to brace herself against the desk after being startled.

Jolene watched wide-eyed as Jax tangled his fingers with hers, once again thrown for a loop by the mixed signals he was sending her way. But Jolene had a plan and she was going to stick to it.

"Don't 'hey, darlin' me." Jolene yanked her hand away and picked up the stack of invoices again. "You scared the shit out of me." She chastised, earning an irritated "Shhhh!" from Gemma, who was still on the phone.

"Didn't mean to. It was eerily quiet in here and I just wanted to check and make sure you two hadn't killed each other yet." Jax smiled as he watched her shuffle the papers in her hands aimlessly.

"You finished the work I started on the Quest yesterday?" Jolene asked and Jax nodded as he reached into the pocket of his work shirt for his smokes. "What was wrong with it?"

"Alignment. Changed the shock absorbers, too. If you pull up that invoice, I can sign off on the work. It's ready to be picked up." Jax advised.

"Thanks, Jax. I promised Mrs. Latham she'd have her mini-van back before Monday. I asked Kyle to give me a hand with it when I got pulled into paperwork hell, but he blew me off." Finding the invoice, Jolene made an additional notation regarding the shock absorbers.

"After all the times you've helped with his back log, he said no?" Jax asked, irritated as he grabbed the invoice and the pen from Jolene in order to sign off on the invoice. "What an asshole."

"Ehh, show me a mechanic who isn't." Jolene teased as Jax waggled his eyebrows at her while taking a deep drag from his cigarette. "I do appreciate the help."

"Uh-uh, you owe me, darlin'." Jax shook his head, a slight smile curling his lips.

Jolene chuckled. "How will I _ever_ repay you?" She asked dramatically.

"I'm gonna sleep on that and I'll get back to you." He threw her a wink.

Now it was Jolene's turn to shake her head as she fought the urge to punch him in his handsome face. This wasn't a case of mixed signals. Jax Teller was coming in loud and clear. Jolene suddenly realized that she may have been right in her assessment that maybe Jax wanted to be the one to make the first move. It was too soon to tell, so Jolene decided to keep playing her cards close to her chest until it was time to unleash her ace in the hole.

"Well, don't sleep on it too long, Teller 'cause the clock's ticking." Jolene retorted knowingly as Jax narrowed his eyes at her. "Can't wait around forever to _repay_ you."

Picking up the inventory checklist, Jolene proceeded to ignore Jax. She could still feel him staring at her, which totally blew her concentration, but Jolene was determined to flip the script on him anyway and be the one to play hard to get.

Clay tore into the outer office just as Gemma was hanging up the phone. Jolene smirked as she could hear her dad bully a couple of lounging mechanics back to work before making his way to the back office.

"Hey, baby girl," He stopped at her desk and kissed the top of Jolene's head. Turning to Jax, he said, "What are you doing in here? Aren't you supposed to be working on that mini-van?"

"Already done," Jax drawled, staying put. "I just signed off on the paperwork. Now, I'm on a break."

"Geez," Clay huffed as he headed towards Gemma. "Everybody's on goddamn break around here."

"Hey, honey," Gemma stood up from her desk and lovingly kissed her grumpy husband before handing him a file with even more paperwork.

"What's this?" Clay flipped through the file.

"Repos. The one in San Leandro is top priority." Turning away from Clay, Gemma sat down at her desk again and picked up her pack of cigarettes. "You need to send some guys ASAP. The bank wants the money or the Escalade before the close of business today."

"That's fine and dandy, but some asshole blocked the tow with some piece of shit bike." Clay complained. "Any idea who?" He turned and asked the room.

Jax shrugged his shoulders. "No clue," He said. "But I can move it, if you want."

 _Time to put Operation Hunt for Blond Wolf into action_ , Jolene smirked to herself.

Putting a lot of emphasis on swallowing the non-existent lump in her throat, Jolene turned towards Clay. "Dad," She started. "If you're referring to the beat up Harley, then I'm the asshole blocking the tow."

Clay turned to his daughter and raised an eyebrow. "That bike's yours?" He said incredulously.

Jolene nodded. "Yeah, I kinda bought it on a whim while driving through Modesto a couple of weeks ago. The guy delivered it this morning."

"And just what the hell do you plan on doing with it? That shit is tore up." Clay said.

"I know, but Ope said he could help me work on it when he had the time." Jolene explained. From the corner of her eye, she could almost see Jax's hackles rising as he suddenly straightened up in his seat. "He looked it over this morning and wrote down the parts he'd need to get started." Jolene explained, jumping up from her chair to retrieve the list from the back pocket of her low-riding jeans.

Clay grabbed the list and flipped it open, scanning the notes Opie had scribbled. "Baby girl, this is gonna cost you an arm and a leg, and what for? You don't ride."

"I know, but I've always wanted to rebuild a bike." Jolene replied enthusiastically. "Besides, I can always learn how to ride later."

All too familiar with Jolene's lead foot behind the wheel of a car, Clay rubbed his face with both hands. "You in the market to kill your old man?" He asked.

Jolene wrapped her arms around her father for a hug. "Don't worry, Dad. In the condition it's in, I won't be riding for a _long_ time." She smiled up to her father. "And Tig already offered to give me a few lessons."

"Oh, Jesus!" Clay howled as Gemma nearly choked on her cigarette. "Now I know you're trying to kill your old man!"

Trying to maintain his cool, Jax took a deep breath. "Tig is _not_ giving you lessons." He said emphatically. Jolene fought to contain a squeal as she noticed his nostrils were a little flared.

"Damn straight." Clay agreed.

"Oh baby, you almost blew your case with that one." Gemma laughed. "Don't worry, Clay. I'm sure Bobby, or even Jax or Ope, can teach her to ride. Just let her keep the bike. God only knows why, but she loves that kind of shit."

Clay shook his head, exasperated. "You two broads, always stickin' together." Clay kissed his daughter on the forehead before heading back out to the garage. "One or both of you are gonna be the death of me." He mumbled mostly to himself.

Jolene turned to face Gemma, confused. "Was that a yes?" She asked expectantly.

"Let's keep it real, Jolene." Gemma smirked. "Has your father ever told you no?"

Gemma's snarkiness aside, Jolene was thrilled. "Woo hoo!" She shouted and did the happy dance in front of her desk, causing Jax to do a double-take as parts that never bounced on her before were doing a number on his eyes. She made it through the tough part as her dad, her only foreseeable obstacle, was letting her keep the bike.

Without saying a word, Jax practically jumped out his chair and stalked towards the garage, on the hunt for his alleged best friend, practically running him over at the door.

"Hey, Jax, how's it going, brother?" Opie greeted Jax on his way into the office. "Haven't seen you all morning." They gave each other a quick shoulder-bumping, back-slapping bro-hug.

"Clay's keeping me busy. And you? I hear you have a little side project going on with Jolene." Jax lit yet another cigarette. What he could really use was a shot of Jack.

"Yeah, that's why I'm here." Opie said, turning to Jolene. "Hey, Jo. My shift's over and I have some down time. You wanna get started on the bike today?"

Jolene's eyes widened with excitement. _Awesome_! She hadn't planned on things moving so fast. "Abso-freakin-lutely!"

"Uh, _excuse_ me." Gemma took off her reading glasses and frowned at Jolene.

Jolene's shoulders instantly deflated. "Opie knows a place in Lodi where we can find some of the parts we need," Jolene started. "I know I'm not done with most of the invoices, but other than that, all I have to do is confirm some items on the inventory list and I can place the order when I get back. Please, Gem. It is _so_ hot in here." She clasped her hands as if in prayer and batted her eyelashes.

Gemma rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright. I'll finish the invoices and you can pick up with the inventory tomorrow." She offered and Jolene almost cringed. Shit, that meant she was being hoodwinked into working in the office again. "Go have some fun."

"Thanks, Gem." Jolene said with a little less enthusiasm.

Turning away from Gemma, Jolene almost rolled her eyes. _Whose damn idea was it to keep my ass in the office_?

"I'm ready to roll whenever you are, Ope." Jolene picked up the phone to call Donna, but got the answering machine instead. Donna wouldn't be too keen on joining them anyway as she and Ope were still on the outs.

"Meet me by the old man's truck in fifteen." Opie instructed. Jax turned, practically glaring after Opie as his friend headed off to clean up at the Clubhouse.

"You got the keys for that POS outside?" Jax asked as Jolene hung up the phone.

"I do." Jolene stood up and reached into the pocket of her skin-tight jeans. Pulling out the keys, she tossed them at Jax. "Won't do you any good, though 'cause the bike won't start."

"Won't start, huh?" Jax said as he swaggered out of the office towards the tow truck, dragging on his cigarette with Jolene following close behind. "Already sounds like a lot of work."

"I can handle it," Jolene replied as they stopped in front of the tarp-covered bike. "I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty."

"No doubt, darlin'." He flashed her a half-grin. " _No doubt_."

Tossing his cigarette, Jax started removing the tarp as Jolene watched, a hand up to her forehead like a visor to keep the sun's glare out of her eyes. The suspense was killing her and she couldn't wait to see his reaction. Throwing the cover off to the side, Jax grimaced as he saw the condition of the bike, most of its smaller parts contained in a large canvas bag next to it. At first glance, it was nothing but a rusted pile of shit. But as Jax squatted next to the bike to get a better look at the engine, Jolene had to bite the insides of her cheeks to keep from grinning like a fool as his eyes widened.

"Holy shit." Jax muttered under his breath. Looking up at Jolene, he asked. "How much did you pay for it?"

"The guy was asking two-fifty, but I talked him down to a buck-twenty-five, plus delivery at no charge." Jolene answered. "Why? I paid too much, didn't I?"

"Darlin'," Jax straightened up. "One of three things happened: The asshole had no clue what he had on his hands, you conned him, or he's a sucker for a beautiful pair of wide green eyes."

 _Try "all of the above", baby_ , Jolene smiled to herself, except it was more like he was a sucker for a young girl in a tight t-shirt. _I am sooo glad I dragged Donna along_.

"Why would you say that?" Jolene creased her brow innocently.

With one hand on his waist, Jax rubbed the hair on his chin with the other as he looked at the bike. He had seen one other like it before, only in a photograph. It was a black and white picture of his father at sixteen, posing with his first bike.

"This is a 1957 Harley-Davidson Sportster, darlin'." Jax said barely above a whisper. Jolene swallowed the sudden and very real lump in her throat as she realized his bright blue eyes were moist. "Wow." He said in complete awe.

Feeling guilty for being somewhat manipulative, Jolene asked, "Is that a good thing?"

Jax looked her in the eyes and smiled. "It's a great thing, Jo. JT had one just like it." He said, a fact Jolene was already well aware of and which made buying the bike a matter of life or death for her. "I think we may still have his copy of the repair manual somewhere in storage."

"Oh my God, are you serious? Would you let me borrow it?" Jolene asked almost breathlessly. Operation Hunt for Blond Wolf aside, Jolene had always wanted to rebuild a vintage bike and having the original repair manual would be an incredible advantage.

"Absolutely, darlin', but even with the manual, there's a hell of a lot of work to be done." Jax advised. "The labor's not even the issue and Clay was right. It's gonna cost ya. It can sometimes take years and a lot of searching to find original parts, too."

"I've got time. I'm not going anywhere. Again." Jolene smiled coyly.

Jax smiled back and for a moment, they weren't related by marriage, she wasn't jail bait, and her father wasn't a reactive nut job with the power to strip him of his patch. Jax's eyes swept over her lithe frame, openly and appreciatively. Suddenly, the idea of working with Jolene one-on-one to rebuild the bike was very appealing to him and he flashed her his patented lady killer wolfish grin. For a brief moment, Jolene thought she was seriously in danger of passing out.

"I'd love to help you out in putting her back together, but I don't want Ope thinking I'm commandeering his project."

"This is my project, Jax. Besides, he was just being nice." Jolene replied. "I kinda bullied him into it. He only agreed because he has a lot of spare time now, but reconciliation with Donna is imminent. They're miserable without each other."

"Ope's good, Jo and he's a patient teacher, too. Me, not so much."

"Somehow, I trust you'll be gentle with me." Jolene said with a devilish sparkle in her eyes. "Come on, please. I want _you_ —" She stopped, leaving the unfinished thought hanging in the air between them.

 _The feeling is definitely mutual, darlin'_ , Jax mused as he watched her bit her lip.

It was at this point that rational Jax tried to speak up, telling him that he really needed to reconsider what he was getting himself into. Pushing the righteous asshole to the back of his mind, Jax winked at Jolene.

"I'm all yours." He finally agreed, prompting Jolene to squeal as she jumped up and down before throwing her arms around his neck. Jax squeezed her tight before quickly pushing her away gently. "We'll start today. First, while I'm moving this piece of shit into a spare bay, you run to the Clubhouse and let Ope know you won't be needing him to take you to Lodi after all. I'm taking you to Stockton instead."

Without leaving much room for argument, Jax picked up the canvas bag of parts and carried it into one of the bays.

Jolene watched him swagger with barely contained glee. As she turned on her heel and walked towards the Clubhouse, Jolene decided that she was done with trying to make things happen. She should have learned a long time ago that destiny doesn't need her help. Jax had agreed to help her rebuild the Sportster and they would be spending a lot of one-on-one time together. With the spark already there, destiny (and nature) were bound to take its course.

And when he did, Jolene was ready and willing to stoke his fire.

* * *

Jolene was seriously starting to think that she had bitten off more than she could chew.

As she had hoped, working to rebuild the 1957 Sportster had afforded her a lot of time to spend with Jax. But on the downside, _it had afforded her a lot of time to spend with Jax_! The man was a relentless taskmaster and a little bit of a dictator. Although as physically different as night and day, after several weeks trapped in the garage working on the rebuild, it was clearly evident to Jolene just in what way Jax took after Gemma.

It was Sunday afternoon and, with the exception of a few Club members and hang-arounds milling about, the lot was practically a ghost town. Walking back from the Clubhouse, Jolene was carrying an open bottle of beer in one hand as she rubbed her own sore neck with her free hand. Like every Saturday, Jolene had spent the day working construction at a Habitat for Humanity site in Galt. Jolene didn't have a problem working hard, but she did have the feeling that her bitchy supervisor got a perverse thrill working her like a mangy mutt.

Hoping to sleep in on Sunday, Jolene was a little irked when the love of her life barged into her bedroom and practically yanked her ass out of bed at seven o'clock in the morning. First of all, _it was seven o'clock in the morning_! And second, she was a hot mess. Looking like she had slept on her face the whole night, Jolene had major bed head and what she was sure was drool crusted onto her cheek. Ignoring Jax's pleas that she forego a shower and just get dressed, Jolene flipped him off as she stepped into the bathroom. Insisting that he was determined that they put in at least a good six hours working on the bike before they had to return for Sunday dinner, Jax had dragged her out of the house and onto his bike. After much nagging on her part, he had relented and took her first for breakfast at Nicky's, where he seemed to ease up a little and relax, which was nice, but Tyrant Teller was back in full force the moment they set foot in the garage.

All of her grousing aside, Jolene actually loved working with Jax on Sundays. With the garage closed and little to no activity on the lot as almost everyone needed a day to recover from partying since Friday, this was their time. With no prying eyes or ears around to intrude on their fun, Jax would let his guard down around her and, even though he had yet to make his move, he was more relaxed and playful.

Truth was Jax had been contemplating making his move for weeks now. As he watched her strut her way back from the Clubhouse wearing an open T-M work shirt over a tank top, cut-offs, and a pair of steel toed-work shoes, Jax was hard pressed to explain to himself why he hadn't made a move. Lord only knew she had made her attraction to him quite obvious and since working on the rebuild, there had been plenty of opportunities for them to be alone and unwatched for extended periods of time.

Instead, he continued trying to convince himself that he would be taking advantage of her if he gave in to what they both wanted. He loved and respected not only Jolene, but her father way too much to do that to her. He tried to convince himself that she belonged with someone who had not grown accustomed to treating all women like sweetbutts. Jax hadn't been involved with anyone seriously since Tara left Charming almost two years ago. He didn't think he was capable of opening himself like that to a woman again, at least not in the near future. He knew Jolene would make some lucky asshole an awesome old lady. Unfortunately, Jax believed two things were true. One, he wasn't destined to be that lucky asshole and two, he didn't deserve to be.

Realizing that Jolene had become an obsession even before she had left for Seattle, Jax was starting to think that maybe what he needed was a change of scenery. The regular pussy available in the Clubhouse just wasn't cutting it any more. He would take these more than willing and eager-to-please women to his bed and all he could think about was Jolene. Jax knew the one sure-fire way to get a woman out of his system was to fuck her. Hook up with her until the thrill of new pussy gave way to his need to move on to his next conquest. There was no doubt that his favorite former-tomboy had a little bad girl in her. Quenching his thirst for her shouldn't prove too difficult, but somehow Jax knew he was only kidding himself. Jolene was different, and it had nothing to do with being Clay's daughter or his stepsister. Taking her to his bed would be a far more different experience than what he was used to at the Clubhouse or on the road. It would be something he wouldn't be able to walk away from so easily.

The rational part of him told him that Jolene was different and not _just pussy_ because they already had an emotional connection. But in his book, an emotional connection equated love and Jax Teller didn't think himself capable of loving anyone ever again.

"Please tell me you're ready for a break." Jolene approached Jax, who straightened up and accepted the beer she offered him.

"I've got something even better, darlin'." Jax said and took a long pull from his beer before handing the bottle back to Jolene. Climbing onto the bike, Jax pulled out the choke and turned on the ignition. Jolene almost dropped his beer as the bike roared to life.

"Oh. My. God!" Jolene exclaimed happily as she jumped up and down.

Watching appreciatively as the rest of her jumped up and down as well, Jax smiled lecherously. "You are most certainly welcome."

Jolene playfully punched him in the shoulder. "When did this happen? All I did was take a potty break."

"I came pretty close to figuring it out last night, but it finally hit me early this morning what I was doing wrong." Jax revved the engine and smiled. "That's a beautiful sound, darlin'."

"It sure is," Jolene almost purred. "Too bad it still looks like shit."

Jax looked at Jolene in wide-eyed disbelief. "Babe, if you don't believe in her, what chance does she have of ever making a comeback? All she needs now is a little TLC."

"She, huh?" Jolene smirked as she took a swig of his beer.

Jax shook his head with a sly half-grin. "Have I ever been known to ride anything else?"

 _Lucky bike!_ "So what's next?" Jolene asked, handing the beer back to Jax.

"Believe it or not, the hard part's over. If I couldn't get the engine working, I was going to suggest scraping the rebuild until we could find one. Now, we can move onto the braking system." He started, turning off the bike. "Our guy in Stockton says he's close to finding an original control panel, but we still need belt guards and the exhaust."

"So what does that mean, a few more weeks?" Jolene asked as she stepped closer to the bike to look it over.

"Not quite." Jax smiled. "Once we find the missing parts, we take her apart again and have her re-chromed and painted."

"But getting the engine working puts us way ahead of schedule, right?" Jolene asked cautiously.

"Yeah," Jax drawled, quirking an eyebrow at her. "Whatcha getting at, Jo?"

"Why do you automatically presume I'm up to something?" Jolene placed her hand on her cocked hip.

"Because you usually are." Jax replied, earning a death glare from Jolene. "Prove me wrong by finishing your thought." He challenged with a cocky grin.

Jolene shook her head, backing away from the bike as she crossed her arms. "You're an ass."

"So I've been told."

"I just thought that since we _are_ ahead of schedule, maybe we could close up shop early today." Jolene suggested, as Jax got off the bike. "I can start working on the brakes afterschool tomorrow."

Jax shook his head. "I'm working at Bluebird tomorrow. Probably won't be back 'til after eight."

"That's alright. I can handle it on my own." Jolene replied confidently. Jax cocked an eyebrow at her, the skepticism clear on his face. "Jax! I've done dozens of brake jobs over the years, you know."

"Tell me you did not just compare the intricacies of an American classic that is a Harley to no damn cage." Jax protested.

Jolene giggled at his expression. "I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't argue with the big bad biker, huh?"

Jax's eyebrow raised as Jolene sashayed up to him. As he was standing right next to the bike, there was no way he could escape.

Not that he wanted to.

Pushing up on Jax, Jolene skimmed her hand across his white t-shirt, causing a slight shiver to run up his spine as she caressed his abs. Looking down into her wide green eyes, he gave her a half smile. Just when he thought she had no intention of stopping until her arm was wrapped around him, Jax contemplated letting his lips fall on hers when he suddenly cursed out loud.

"Aw fuck!" He exclaimed staring at Jolene dumbfounded as she giggled wickedly, waving his Glock at him victoriously. She had managed to distract him by pressing those amazing tits against his chest while she snagged his gun from his shoulder holster under his open work shirt.

"Ah-ha! What is this? Did I just relieve the big bad outlaw of his weapon?" Jolene teased while dodging Jax's hand as he tried to get his gun back.

"You know exactly what this is, Jolene." He did his best to keep his Grrr-face on, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling. Shit, she looked fuckin' hot gripping his weapon with one hand while rubbing the smooth and shiny metal with the other. "You cheated."

Jolene's mouth fell open in mock shock. "Did not! Once again, you presumed I was up to something, namely rubbing up on _you_ , when I wasn't. My intention was always to pinch your gun." Jax looked at her like she was full of shit. "Would the Club strip you of your patch if they ever found out?" She teased.

"Ha . . . Ha." Jax drawled sarcastically. "Gimme my gun." He held his hand out and looked on the verge of stomping his foot if she didn't comply.

"Nope." Jolene said simply as she practically skipped to the other side of the bay. "Come and get it." She challenged with a wink.

Jax chuckled, running his hand over his goatee in frustration. Somehow he knew she wasn't referring to the Glock.

"Come on. Give it to me, babe."

"Yeah, you see. I knew you really wanted it." She teased, not at all referring to the gun.

Jax couldn't control the salacious grin that spread across his face. "I sure do, darlin', but I'll take the gun for now. Come on, you're gonna hurt yourself."

"I can handle it, Jax." Jolene responded, still not talking about the gun. "Oh and if you mean the gun, I can handle that too. The safety's on."

"I know you _think_ you can handle it."

"Oh, I can handle it, and if Dad had given me a Glock like I wanted for Christmas ages ago, you would know that I could handle it, too." Jolene smiled mischievously. "So here's my suggestion. We're done with the bike for today, but it's still early. I'll give your gun back _if_ you promise to take me to the streams for target practice right now and I'll show you just what I can do."

Jax rubbed the bridge of his nose with his index and thumb and looked at Jolene. She looked sexy as hell standing there holding his Glock. He could see her in his mind's eye—standing straight, feet apart, and arms braced in the position to hold his gun with him standing behind her, guiding her.

The thought was tantalizing—and dangerous.

_But I'm the adult here. I can handle this shit. It's just a little target practice._

* * *

Jolene had ridden on the back of Jax's bike a hundred times before. Today, on their way to the streams, it felt different. Jolene was sure that whatever they had been to each other before changed the moment Jax agreed to take her for some target practice.

On his part, Jolene had noticed a hint of possessiveness in the way his hand had rested on her waist as they walked side-by-side and he guided her to his bike. Yet, at that moment, his face had been more unreadable than ever. For Jolene, she was positive it was probably much easier to decipher the emotions roiling in her tummy. She was nervous, excited, and just a touch uneasy as they sped down the I-22 towards the streams, but with her arms wrapped tightly around Jax's midsection and her cheek pressed against the leather on his back, Jolene knew one thing for sure.

She loved this man with her whole being.

Something clicked in Jax—even though he was reluctant to acknowledge it—as he watched Jolene remove the helmet off her head after jumping off his bike. There was a warm breeze blowing, whipping Jolene's long, loose curls around her face. Watching her try to corral her beautiful but wild mane into a ponytail while keeping her open plaid shirt from flying off her body, Jax smiled to himself as he suddenly realized that the things he loved about Jolene had always been a part of who she was. Her hair, which had always seemed like a magnet for his fingers, her wide bright eyes, her equally wide and bright smile, and her smartass mouth. The packaging may be different, and definitely a whole lot sexier, but Jolene was still the same girl that had been tugging at his heart for a long time now.

Coming to that realization, Jax now understood why he had not hesitated bringing her to the streams.

Jax remembered how difficult and awkward it had been in his early days to get together with girls. He didn't always have free range of the Clubhouse and trying to come up with discrete locations for his hook ups hadn't always been easy. Yet, Jax never once thought to bring them up to the streams. The secluded and wooded area just outside Charming's city limits and by the water had been a favorite spot of his after discovering it on one of his many hikes away from home the year his brother died. Jax would come there to think and write in his journal as he smoked cigarettes pilfered from the many packs his mother left lying around. It was beautiful and private, yet Jax had only ever shared it with one other person.

 _Jolene_.

* * *

It didn't surprise Jax that Jolene knew her way around a Glock. After all, her father _was_ Clay Morrow. What had surprised him, however, was how good she actually was, especially since he had never seen her handle a gun before. Trying to keep his mind out of the gutter, Jax smirked to himself as he failed miserably, thinking that there were many things he had never seen her do, but which he was quite sure she would be really good at.

"What the hell is that look on your face?" Jolene called out, snapping Jax back to the here and now.

"Trust me, darlin'. Half the time, you _really_ don't want to know what thoughts are running through a man's mind."

"I hate to break it to you, baby," Jolene drawled as she pulled the empty magazine out of the Glock's magazine well. "But I can usually tell what you're thinking by the look on your face. And judging from that last look, you are a _bad_ boy, Jackson."

Jax swaggered over to Jolene and grabbed the spent magazine out of her hand and replaced it with a full clip. "That's because I am a firm believer in the school of thought 'why tell ya, when I can show ya'." He winked at her before walking away to set up a couple of empty cans of beer and several tin cans on the large rock by the water's edge.

Walking back to Jolene, Jax instructed. "Take out two cans with one shot." With one hand on her hip, Jolene looked at Jax with a raised eyebrow. "Come on, darlin', try it." He cajoled her with a devastating smile. "You can do it."

"You're nuts. _I can do it?_ Can you do it?" Jolene asked skeptically.

Jax nodded, cockily licking his lips. "There's not much I can't do."

"Aww, and you're modest, too." Jolene replied sarcastically.

Taking a stance as she aimed at the cans on the rock, Jolene raised the Glock and squeezed the trigger. A shot cracked through the air and took down one of the beer cans.

"The only way I could take out two cans with one shot would be if I picked up the spent casing and threw it at the other can." Jolene snarked.

"You underestimate yourself, darlin'." Jax strode over to Jolene. Standing behind her, he placed his hands on her waist and guided her to shift her legs, distributing her weight evenly. Jolene closed her eyes briefly and tried to swallow the sudden mouthful of cotton as she could feel the hard planes of Jax's chest pressed against her back. "Relax, Jo." He said softly, the side of his scruffy face up against her ear as his hands ran down her arms, shaking them gently to loosen her up.

"Take aim," Jax directed and Jolene brought her arms up, using both hands to grip the Glock, and set her sight on one of the tin cans. "Now, tilt your hand this way, ah, just a little."

Jolene had to clear her throat in order to speak. "That feels awkward."

"Trust me, babe." Jax encouraged. "Don't aim at dead center of your target. Aim down and slightly to the side and squeeze."

Doing as instructed, Jolene was struck dumb as the round she fired hit her target, causing the can to jackknife the one next to it before they both flew off the rock.

"Holy shit!" Jolene laughed, feeling goosebumps dimpling her skin as Jax pressed a kiss on her neck behind her ear.

"Good job." Jax breathed against her hair. Getting this close may have been a bad idea because now he didn't want to back away.

"Thanks, but I'm not really impressed, though." Jolene stated nonchalantly, making no move to extract herself from his embrace.

"What?" Jax laughed, the deep, throaty sound vibrating through her body.

"I thought you were gonna teach me some Matrix-type shit, like curving a bullet or something." She teased.

Jolene squeezed her eyes shut as Jax's grip on her waist tightened and he nuzzled her hair. "I'm sorry if I disappointed you, darlin'." He said, his voice a husky growl against her ear.

"I'm not disappointed." Jolene said quickly as she turned in his arms and, before she could continue, something happened that she had been waiting a lifetime for.

He kissed her.

* * *

It was soft, at first. Almost sweet.

Jax's lips barely grazed Jolene's as he watched her eyes flutter until they closed. Reluctantly letting go of his grip on her waist, Jax let his hand fall until he had a hold of the Glock in her right hand. He could have kicked himself for distracting her as she broke away from their kiss, but she didn't move, her eyes open and wide and never leaving his. Jax gently pulled the gun out of her hand and let it drop on the ground.

Now free of their deadly burden, Jolene let her hands find their way underneath his cut. Jax smiled down at her as he felt her coil her arms around his waist. She wasn't going anywhere. And just to make sure, Jax let his hands roam until they reached her hair. Gently pulling it free from its ponytail, Jax fisted his hands in the ebony tendrils before bringing his mouth back to hers.

Jolene felt herself drift as she melted into Jax. The sensation of his lips on hers, of his hard muscled body pressed against her softness, sent what could only be described as electricity coursing through her core. He was taking his time, kissing her slowly, his tongue playfully dancing over her lips.

Feeling bolder, Jolene let her hands move up under his shirt and caressed his bare back. With a slight growl, Jax bit her bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth. Jolene felt herself blush as a breathy moan escaped her lips.

Breaking contact with her mouth, Jax pressed his forehead against hers as he cradled her face in his hands.

_Fuck!_

It felt so right holding her like this. It felt damn near perfect kissing her, but the closer Jax got to not giving a shit anymore, the more he knew he should.

"Tell me to stop, Jo."

The night of her welcome home party, in the kitchen, he had stopped trying to convince himself that one taste was all he needed. Once he got started, God only knew how far he would have taken it. Now, having proven to himself that one taste of her sweet lips was all he needed to make him lose his fucking mind, Jax knew that the only way he was capable of throwing on the brakes was if she told him to stop.

"No."

* * *

Bleary eyed and exhausted, it pissed Opie off to no end that the dark oblivion of sleep was evading him. Looking at the glowing green numbers on the alarm clock sitting on the nightstand in his darkened dorm room, he cursed under his breath. It was almost five o'clock in the morning. Not having bothered to undress himself the night before, Opie sat up in bed, his booted feet hitting the floor. With his elbows on his knees, he let his head fall into his hands as he felt the beginnings of a headache throbbing at his temples.

After two years of ups and downs, highs and lows, Opie was starting to think that his best friend did in fact have the perfect scheme going when it came to women. With variety being the spice of life, Jax never lacked in female companionship. The pussy in this Clubhouse was at his disposal 24/7. If one croweater got too clingy, thinking of herself in terms of old lady material and keeping other women at bay, she would get cast aside, making room for the next one. To fulfill needs of the non-physical kind, he had Jolene to fall back on. Those two would move heaven and earth for each other without the complications of romantic love and sex fucking it up. Jax had the best of both worlds. No commitments, no attachments, no drama.

 _And no heartbreak_.

Opie had thoughts of Donna and their broken relationship to thank for his sleepless night. The time Donna had claimed she needed to sort shit out in her head had turned into weeks, which were now quickly approaching months. With her parents out of town for an extended weekend in Reno, last night had been the first time in a long time that they had even been in the same room together. With her best friend Jolene spending the bulk of her time with Jax on the rebuild of the Sportster, Donna had stopped hanging around the lot. Instead, the tight-as-sisters BFFs spent the bulk of their girl-time outside Charming.

Opie was starting to think that the longer Donna took to "think" about their relationship, the more comfortable she would get with the idea that maybe her parents were right. That she was better off without him. It had stunned him speechless when Donna had called him out of the blue yesterday asking him to come to her house so they could talk. They had had this dance before and, as Opie made his way over to Donna's, he was sure that the night would end with them reconciled and happy once again.

It wasn't meant to be. At least not yet, Opie was sure. It was obvious that his girl was torn between her parents and the man who loved her, but now she was starting to ask questions that Opie wasn't sure he was prepared to answer, such as what was the true nature of the MC and his role in it. He had had this discussion with Jo before, during one of his and Donna's many "cooling off" periods. As Donna's best friend, Jolene felt that she had the right to know the truth about the Club, but as a loyal member of the SAMCRO family, Jolene believed that Donna was still an outsider and whether or not she got full disclosure was a call only Opie could make. As much as she loved Donna, it wasn't Jolene's place to educate her, but she did believe that the time had come for Opie to do it himself.

After last night's blow out, Opie was starting to think that the general rule should be to stop second-guessing Jolene and just do as she said. The young woman he loved like a sister had a good head on her shoulders. Having grown up in the Clubhouse, Opie knew she had the makings of a great old lady and Donna would be lucky to have her for a mentor. Now it was just a matter of Jax waking up to this fact before someone else scooped her up.

Pulling himself onto his feet, Opie threw on his cut and decided that if he wasn't going to sleep, he might as well wake up completely by getting some fresh air and maybe a smoke or two. The garage would open in a couple of hours and Opie wanted to enjoy the peacefulness of a quiet morning before the hustle and bustle of a typical Thursday morning.

Stepping out into the cool morning, Opie pulled on his knit cap and stopped at the Clubhouse door to light a cigarette. He loved this time of day and, with the sun set to rise soon, watched as the horizon changed colors from blue to pink to orange. Moving towards the picnic table, Opie stopped as he saw movement by one of the bikes and noticed a hunched over figure. Stepping out from underneath the Clubhouse's overhang, Opie relaxed as he realized it was just Jax.

"Hey, brother," Opie called out as he approached the line of bikes parked outside the Clubhouse. "Just getting in?"

Jax straightened up and gave Opie a back-slapping bro-hug. "Yes and no." He replied, not wanting to admit that he had awoken hung-over and face first in some random porn pussy about an hour ago down at Cara Cara. Accepting one of the smokes Opie offered, Jax continued. "I just dropped by to pick up some shit. I'm about to hit the road."

Opie quirked an eyebrow at his friend. It had been a while, months actually, since Jax had gone a solo run. It was obvious that something had been bothering him all week, but Jax wasn't the type to burden anyone with his problems and the only one who could ever make him talk things out was Jolene. This was why Jax had taken to practically living on the road during Jolene's six month exile from Charming. Without his stepsister as his sounding board, Jax claimed that the only way to deal with the noise in his head was to tear up the road on these solo runs. Although Opie also found great comfort in the peaceful solitude of riding alone, if he knew his childhood pal, the road wasn't the only thing Jax tore up on these trips. The free range he was allowed over the finest pussy in Nevada was sure to be a draw as well. Jax was heading either to Uncle Jury's stable in Indian Hills or the Reno charter and its numerous strip clubs and brothels.

"Yeah? Where ya headed?" Opie asked as Jax went back to fastening his saddle bags.

"Reno."

 _I knew it_.

"Something weighing heavy on your mind, brother?" Opie asked while taking a deep drag from his cigarette. "You've been a little off these past couple of days. You and Jo have a falling out or something?"

Jax turned a fiery glare on Opie. "Why would you ask that? Did she say something to you?" He asked, clearly angry.

"Nope." Opie replied, perplexed not by Jax's quick-to-flare temper, but by the look haunting his eyes all week that could only be described as sad. Almost like he had lost his best friend.

Opie only asked out of concern for his friends because he hadn't seen the formerly inseparable dynamic duo working on the Sportster since Saturday. Maybe they were butting heads over the rebuild. He loved his brother, but Jax could come off as an arrogant prick sometimes and Jolene didn't take kindly to being bossed around. Judging from Jax's reaction, Opie was sure he had nailed Jolene as the reason for Jax's foul mood this week. Watching his friend struggle with his own thoughts as his emotions played out on his face at the mere mention of her name had convinced Opie that whatever the reason for their falling out, it had nothing to do with the rebuild. They had avoided each other like the plague this week and now Jax was hauling ass to Reno.

"How long you taking off for?" Opie asked.

"A week, maybe more." Came the terse reply as Jax proceeded to fasten a bedroll to the back of the bike while his cigarette dangled from his lips.

"Use that time wisely, brother." Opie started. "Whatever it is that's plaguing you, Jax, I hope a week spent knee deep in cheap pussy is gonna work it out for you. And I certainly hope that whatever it is you need to work out is worth it because the Club needs you here and you know Clay's gonna shit a brick when he finds out you're gone."

"How do you know I haven't already cleared it with Clay?" Jax asked defensively.

"Because you're heading out at five a.m. on a four-hour ride. If that's not you trying to get out of town under the radar, I don't know what is." Opie chuckled.

 _Ope's right_ , Jax thought.

He hadn't cleared any of this with his stepfather, but he wasn't leaving town early to avoid a confrontation with Clay. Jax needed to get the fuck out of Charming before he ran into the one person he didn't want to run away from in the first place. He had been avoiding Jolene since Sunday and with each passing day, as he saw her around the lot and in the Clubhouse, it was becoming nearly impossible to ignore her anymore. He knew that taking off like a thief in the night would ultimately end up hurting Jolene, have her thinking that she had done something so horribly wrong that he couldn't stand being in the same town as her.

She would be wrong.

Jax had been a miserable prick to anyone that got in his way this week, but still he tried to convince himself that he wasn't in love. After all, Tara had killed his ability to let himself be vulnerable with a woman like that again. Love just wasn't something he was capable of.

At any other point in his life, that would have been the truth, but even as Jax was packing his saddle bags this morning, he knew he was lying to himself. Jax already knew what his feelings for Jolene really were and even though he didn't care that she was seventeen and his President's daughter, he felt powerless to do anything about it. Although Jax knew he wanted nothing more than to be the man that got to love Jolene Morrow, he couldn't pretend not to be the man he knew he was. He was an asshole that went through women like candy and he had to give Jolene an out. In spite of whatever good intentions he may have in the beginning, Jax knew he would only end up hurting her in the long run.

Knowing how she felt about him, Jax knew that hurting Jolene was going to be inevitable, so better it happen now than after they were both in too deep.

"I'll be back in a week, bro." Jax assured Opie as he climbed onto his bike and put on his helmet. "Just make sure Juice watches over Jo and keeps her ass out of the fire."

Jax revved his bike and roared out of the parking lot, heading for Reno. Jax knew nothing was going to change in terms of how he felt about Jolene, but at least he could say he tried.


	8. Hit and Run

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy.**

* * *

It was a hit and run.

 _Actually, it was more like a near hit and run_ , Jolene thought bitterly as she angrily wiped away the tears that fell unbidden down her cheeks and onto her pillow. It was three o'clock in the morning and even though she was physically and emotionally exhausted and had to get up to go to school in a few hours, Jolene was nowhere near sleepy.

Sunday had turned out to be the best _and_ worst day of her life. Even though the day had not ended as she had expected and hoped, Jolene was quite happy with the progress she and Jax were making. As she had heard Gemma and Luann comment often, men were usually slow on the uptake. While Jolene had been preparing for years for the moment when Jax finally saw the potential in their relationship for something more than friendship, Jax himself was just cluing in. He was skittish, but Jolene was prepared to give him the breathing room he needed to make certain facts alright in his head. Specifically, that he felt just as strongly about her as she did about him.

Even though it had hurt her feelings, Jolene was willing to endure Jax going out of his way to avoid one-on-one contact with her. But after three days of being virtually ignored by Jax, those hurt feelings quickly morphed into embarrassment and shame. She must have done something wrong at the streams, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what it was.

Jolene had known Jax Teller for a long time and she had never seen him treat any woman, including the skanky croweaters and way-too-easy sweetbutts, the way he was treating her. Like she had ceased to exist. Like she was some clingy one-night stand that he couldn't shake. Well, Jolene Morrow had SAMCRO in her veins and she was prepared to disabuse Jax of the notion that he could treat her _worse_ than the Club pussy that was forever hanging off his jock!

Jolene had awoken this morning ready to confront Jax about what had happened between them at the streams and driving to T-M after school, she was determined to find out why he was being such an asshole. Not finding Jax in the garage or Clubhouse, Opie had given Jolene a strange look as the color drained from her face when she had asked where Jax had taken off to and he had replied "Reno." Claiming that she was heading home to tackle a shit load of homework, Jolene almost didn't make it to her car before she started crying.

And, lying on her bed in the pitch darkness of her room, it almost seemed like she hadn't stopped crying since.

* * *

" _Tell me to stop, Jo."_

" _No." With Jax's forehead pressed against hers, Jolene shook her head slightly. "I don't want you to st—" Jax swallowed the last of her words as his mouth enveloped hers._

_Jolene's mind suddenly went blank, every brain cell and nerve ending in her body trained on the wonderful sensations Jax's mouth elicited from her. With his lips burning into hers, Jolene closed her eyes, her nails digging into the reaper on his back as she held on tight. A hint of a smile curled Jax's lips as Jolene tilted her head to the side, allowing him to deepen their kiss._

_Parting her lips with his tongue, Jolene felt her heart pounding against her chest as his kiss went from soft and gentle to raw and demanding. Freeing one hand from her tangle of curls, Jolene moaned against his mouth as Jax found her breast, squeezing the soft and supple orb as he bit her bottom lip, sucking at it gently._

_Jax groaned and pulled away. Looking at each other through half-hooded eyes, Jolene almost squealed in surprise as Jax's hands fell to her waist and he guided her backwards until her backside came into contact with his Dyna-Glide._

_Watching her face intently as her hands moved from under his shirt and onto the front of his cut, Jax suddenly realized that he was holding his breath in anticipation of what of she would do next. Taking a deep breath, Jax let his eyes close as her small hands gently caressed his face, her thumb grazing his lips, before burying them in his hair. Grabbing fistfuls of blond locks, Jolene pulled Jax's mouth back to hers._

_After kissing each other for a long time and as if their next breath depended on it, Jax once again broke their embrace, finally letting a breathless Jolene come up for air. For a brief moment, feeling himself grow hard in his jeans, Jax almost came to his senses. But with her hands still in his hair, Jolene was holding firm as she pressed herself against him, her chest heaving slightly and her beautiful mouth kiss-swollen. Jax dropped his head, nipped at her lips once, twice, before letting his lips trail down the length of her neck._

_Jolene could hear herself breathing in short, sporadic intakes of breaths, surprised to discover that she was the one whimpering as Jax sucked at the sensitive skin of her throat. Marking her with his lips, tongue, and teeth, Jax dipped his head further as he dropped feather-light kisses on the cleavage exposed by her tank top._

" _Jax!" Jolene breathed, her eyes drifting closed again as she felt him cup her breasts, kneading them gently. "Oh!" She cried, unconsciously tugging on his hair, her nipples contracting into tight buds as Jax's teeth grazed them through her tank._

_Jax knew they were treading on dangerous ground, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. First, Jax had wanted to kiss her. Then he wanted to kiss her using his tongue. Then he wanted to touch her, first with his hands on her gorgeous tits and then with his mouth. Now, he felt like he wouldn't be able to survive another moment without seeing them. He kept pushing the envelope, hoping that with every move he made Jolene would put a stop to it, but so relieved when she didn't. Her breathing and the soft noises she was making inflamed him, forcing him to act more on instinct than with common sense._

_They were moving fast, but Jax was felt helpless to stop it._

_Pushing her tank up, Jax was growling against the lacy material of her bra as he felt her hips instinctively rubbing against the hard-on currently tenting his jeans. Lifting his head away from the valley between her tits, Jax let his head fall back as now it was Jolene's turn to kiss and nuzzle his neck. Perched sideways on the seat of his bike, Jolene wrapped her legs around Jax's thighs._

" _Oh God, Jax. What are you doing to me, baby?" She moaned against his throat as he dry humped her._

_The reality of the situation finally seeping through his aching need for her, Jax backed away from the image in his mind that foretold their imminent future. In it, Jax was pushing her cut-offs down over her shapely hips to her ankles as he roughly turned her, bending her over his bike._

_Jax licked his lips suddenly gone dry as he pushed himself away from Jolene._

_What the fuck am I doing? Jax chastised himself as he finally realized he was treating Jolene Morrow like a goddamn sweetbutt._

_Jolene was watching Jax with wide eyes. Mistakenly taking the mental torture playing out on his face as a sign that she had done something wrong, Jolene pulled her tank top down and yanked her open plaid shirt back onto her shoulders._

" _Something wrong?" Jolene could barely bring herself to speak._

_Jax was looking at her with a clenched jaw as he fought the urge to say "fuck it" and pick up where they had left off._

" _We should head back to Charming." He replied instead, wincing at himself as he saw her beautiful face flush with shame._

_Letting her gaze fall away from Jax, Jolene suddenly felt her throat grow thick as the threat of tears clouded her vision._

_Jolene cleared her throat. "Sure." She said as she jumped off his bike and adjusted her clothes, surprised to find that her cut-offs were unbuttoned._

_Without another word, Jax went about clearing the area of the debris from their afternoon target practice, before picking up his Glock and shoving it into the holster under his cut. Watching her from the corner of his eye as she adjusted his helmet onto her head, Jax felt like kicking himself. He found himself wishing he could travel back in time, only by ten minutes or so, and only so he could feel her mouth against his neck again._

_He was sure as fuck that this time he wouldn't push her away._

* * *

There was no telling how often Jolene had relived those precious moments with Jax out at the streams during the past four days, but each time she did, she ended up in tears.

"Not this time." Jolene said determinedly as she sat up in her bed.

She was done crying and feeling sorry for herself, as if something were wrong with her. After years of fixating on Jackson Teller, Jolene felt herself finally coming to terms that they weren't meant to be after all. If he was too blind to see her feelings for him and the fact that she would not only make him one hell of an old lady, but that she could also make him happy again, she was done trying to show him. It's not like Jax was her only option. As resistant as he was to her, there were at least ten guys she knew, mostly from school, that would give anything if she would just give them the time of day.

If Jax felt that he needed to run off to Reno in order to purge whatever feelings—if any—he had for her, then it was only fair that she do the same.

* * *

If Donna had not seen her lips move and heard the words tumbling out of her BFF's mouth herself, she wouldn't believe it. Couldn't believe it. She was still having trouble believing it.

Jolene Morrow had just officially proclaimed herself 100% over Jax Teller.

After being out of touch for about a week due to Donna's work schedule and Jolene's senior activities and schoolwork, the two young women decided to meet up after Jolene's probation work in order to enjoy a girls' day out trip to San Francisco on Saturday afternoon. With their destination an hour-and-a-half drive away from Charming, Jolene was afforded plenty of time to fill Donna in on the events leading up to her realization that destiny was indeed a dirty-trick playing bitch.

Donna spent most of the drive with her mouth agape as she listened to Jolene, who painted a vivid picture by not leaving out a single dirty detail. Never one to disappoint, Jolene had succeeded once again in dumbfounding Donna.

 _She finally manages to get Jax to make his move and NOW she chooses to throw in the towel_?

As soon as she had parked the Mustang and the two friends headed towards Fillmore Street arm-in-arm for some retail therapy, Jolene dropped the subject of Jax Teller. Determined to move on as quickly as possible, Jolene had managed to score two invitations to senior prom by the end of the school day on Friday. She was happily babbling on and on about the possibility of actually going.

"I should accept Shawn Taylor's invitation. After all, he asked me first, but he has longish blond hair and I wouldn't want _someone_ to think I'm rebounding with a look-alike, right?" Jolene was going on as she rifled through a rack sexy blouses, not realizing that Donna was back to looking at her like a deer caught in the headlights. "Caleb Miller asked me last, but he has the most beautiful dark eyes and hair I've ever seen. He's part Wahewa, you know."

"Whoa, Jo!" Donna finally exclaimed. "You really need to slow down. I'm not used to this coming from you. In the last five years, you have barely noticed any of the boys in Charming, much less considered going out with any of them. Maybe you just need to step away from the situation and give yourself some time."

Pulling a midnight blue wrap blouse with a deep neckline off the rack, Jolene held it up against her torso. "Time for what, D?" She put the blouse back after Donna wrinkled her nose at it. "All I have been doing these past _seven_ years is stepping back and giving _Jax_ time. When I came back from Seattle, I really believed that things would finally be different between us. How naïve am I, huh? I feel like an idiot wasting all that time, all that energy on him." Donna gave her friend a wary look, to which Jolene rolled her eyes in response. "He probably has all those Reno whores in rotation by now, anyway. What's good for the goose and all that happy shit, right? Why should he be the only one to have some fun?"

"Because he's Jax Teller, man-whore extraordinaire. I'm sure Jax believes he runs the risk of his dick falling off if he goes a day without using it." Donna sniped causing Jolene to chuckle as two older woman going through a rack behind her overheard and quickly moved away. "Besides, this is probably how he deals with shit. He runs away from it and drowns himself in cheap women. The Jolene Morrow I know confronts shit head on and she certainly wouldn't get over someone she's proclaimed her love for in less than 48 hours."

Jolene bit her upper lip, hoping to hold back tears that were threatening to spring forward. _I can be such a girl sometimes_ , she bitched at herself.

"What am I supposed to do, D?" Jolene asked, hoping that her friend had an answer she could live with. "Continue pining away for someone who told me months ago that he loved me like a sister, yet I was too blind to see that he was just trying to let me down easy? Too stupid to hear that what he was actually saying was that I stood no chance in hell?"

Trying her best to comfort her friend, Donna draped the hangers of clothes she was considering on the rack and put her arm around Jolene. "Maybe you're being hasty about all this, is all I'm saying. Jax is not exactly a one-woman type of guy. The fact is he knows you're not like those women always hanging around the Club and maybe that scares him." Donna explained. "First of all, he knows you're good at cracking skulls and breaking noses with bats and you showed him you can handle a gun. And second, you're Jolene-fuckin'-Morrow, _the_ SAMCRO Princess. He knows you won't let him get away with treating you like a cheap trick, and neither will your dad or Bobby or Otto or Opie, or—"

"Okay! I get it." Jolene interrupted her. "But what difference does any of that make? Besides, weren't you the one always trying to convince me that I was barking up the wrong tree with Jax?"

"Yes," Donna replied sheepishly. "But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the way he looks at you."

Jolene put her hand on her cocked hip. "Trust me, D. I know Jax. I'm just a pair of tits with eyes as far as he's concerned."

"Really, Jo, you can hardly blame the man. Sometimes I can't stop looking at them myself!" Donna teased and Jolene playfully pushed her friend away. "Definitely choose Caleb Miller." Donna advised out of nowhere.

Jolene flashed her a dead-eye stare. "Would you please just fuckin' make up your mind?"

"Hey, I know my bestie. She's gonna do what she damn well pleases anyway, but you're right. Shawn is a little too eerily similar to you-know-who." Donna stated. "You going out with Caleb Miller will really stick it to Jax in his craw."

"That's not why I would go out with him, D." Jolene insisted.

Donna waved her away. "Yeah, right, whatever. Can you hurry up, so we can try this stuff on already? I'm starving."

Jolene smiled as she watched Donna walk away. "You're the Ying to my Yang, you know that?" She called out after her friend.

"I know." Donna flashed her a cheesy grin before disappearing into the fitting room.

* * *

Vincenzo's wasn't exactly the kind of place Jolene ever thought her father would recommend. She always considered her dad to be a simple blue-collar, meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. The high-end trattoria with a wood-burning brick oven was crowded on this Saturday night with the uptight wine-sipping, yuppie-looking types Clay Morrow despised with a passion, but he swore by their pizza. According to her father, Vincenzo's sausage and pepper pizza was the closest to New York-style he's ever had outside of his hometown.

Looking at the menu after being shown to their table, Donna balked at the prices, but Jolene assured her that dear old dad was picking up the tab in return for a promise that she would bring him back a pie. Determined to enjoy what was left of their girls' day out, Jolene had put the kibosh on any further discussion concerning a certain blond biker. Instead, Jolene spent the bulk of their dinner giving Donna the third-degree about Opie.

"You do realize that I want to talk about Opie Winston as much as you do about Jax." Donna complained as she dug her spoon into the tiramisu they were sharing for dessert.

"You're saying that now, but you know as well as I do that Ope's crazy about you." Jolene stated. "Breaking up _again_ was your idea."

"Whose side are you on?" Donna chastised as she pushed Jolene's spoon out of the way.

"I'm on the side of truth and justice and, the truth is, Opie is not to blame for your parents not accepting him and you do him an injustice every time you break up with him because of it." Jolene stated as a matter of fact.

"That's not fair!" Donna exclaimed.

"Yeah, it is." Jolene insisted. "D, I love you like a sister, and this is just between us, but I'm not gonna lie to you by taking your side on this."

Donna threw her spoon down. "My parents, well actually, my mom has made my life miserable. I just needed a break to see where _my_ head's at."

"This 'break' has been in effect for almost two months now." Jolene pointed out.

"I'm aware of that. It's the longest we've been apart in our two years together."

"There is something wrong with you." Jolene accused. "Do you realize that Ope probably has as many skanks chasing after his junk as Jax does? Women are suckers for the strong, silent type. Not to mention he's built like a Redwood."

Donna narrowed her eyes. "Do you know something you're not telling me?"

"Absolutely not, but men are ruled by their penises," Jolene started. "And if he's not getting any from you, he's gonna get it from somewhere." She should know after having witnessed over the years enough traffic in and out of Jax's dorm to warrant a revolving door.

Suddenly feeling sick to her stomach, Donna grimaced. "I'm ready to go."

Feeling her friend's pain, Jolene hoped she was finally able to snap some sense into her. Finishing her espresso, Jolene signaled for their waiter, Gustavo.

"I hope you beautiful ladies enjoyed your meal." Gustavo smiled amicably.

"Yes, we did. Thank you." Jolene smiled in return as she dug for her wallet.

"You can pick up your pie to go at the take-out window by the bar." Gustavo continued smiling, his hands clasped at his back.

Jolene quirked an eyebrow at him. "Can we have the check, please?"

Gustavo shook his head. "It's already been taken care of."

Donna and Jolene exchanged WTF looks. "What do you mean it's already been taken care of?" Donna asked.

"The two gentlemen at the bar." The waiter motioned towards two young men with similar haircuts, both clean-shaven and impeccably dressed, who raised their glasses of micro-brews in a toast when Jolene and Donna turned towards the bar.

"Uh, that's really nice of them, but not necessary." Jolene insisted, pulling several bills out of her wallet.

"No, really, it's been taken care of and they were quite generous as well." Gustavo explained. "Enjoy the rest of your evening and please come again." He smiled kindly before walking away.

"What are we gonna do?" Donna asked as they gathered their belongings and got up from the table together.

"Thank them for the gesture and pay them back." Jolene replied, determined not to take no for an answer. "Strange men don't just go around paying for meals unless they expect something in return."

As Jolene and Donna approached the bar, the two young men put their drinks down and stood up.

"They have manners." Donna giggled.

"Yeah. Who would've thought men like that still existed." Jolene whispered to her friend.

* * *

"Shit, man. You were right." One of the young men whispered to the other as they watched the girls approach. "She's fuckin' hot."

The taller one nodded. "Told ya, but I saw her first. Her friend's pretty, though."

"Maybe, but Curly Locks has a body made for sinning. Should've known a hot one was gonna walk in the minute I went to the head." The friend complained.

"Hi," Jolene greeted, sweeping her thick black mane away from her eyes as she plastered the friendly, but tight smile she reserved for outsiders onto her face. "My friend and I wanted to thank you for paying for dinner—"

"It was our pleasure, really." The tall one spoke up, his warm brown eyes shining. "I'm Doug and this is my friend Frankie."

"It's nice meeting you, Doug, Frankie," Jolene nodded politely at each young man, but failed to introduce herself and Donna. "We appreciate you paying for dinner, but we want to pay you back."

"No, really. You two seemed to be enjoying your dinner and we didn't want to interrupt. We just wanted to get your attention before you left and walked out of our lives forever." Doug smiled.

Jolene tried to keep her eyes from rolling. "You go around buying strange women dinner?"

"Only the breathtaking ones." Doug replied, flashing her an overly-bright white smile. "Let's make a deal. You let us pay for dinner and we'll let you buy us a drink."

Jolene quirked an eyebrow at Donna, who shrugged her shoulders in response. Having a drink or two at the bar wasn't a problem as both she and nineteen-year old Donna had fake IDs, a rite of passage in a small town like Charming. Jolene just wasn't used to outsiders laying it on so thick. Back home, everyone knew about her connection to SAMCRO and, strangers, especially boys, kept their distance unless she made it clear that she was open to interaction.

Her first impulse was to decline the offer and head home, especially since she promised her dad that she'd be home before eleven with his pizza. Taking a good look at Doug and his pal Frankie, Jolene decided she kind of liked what she saw. First of all, they weren't bikers. At this point, considering the major mindfuck Jax had laid on her, that was a definite plus in their favor. And second, thanks to Jax again, she could use the distraction. It was nice knowing that someone besides the object of her former obsession was interested in spending time with her.

"Tonight's not a good night," Jolene started. "I made a promise to deliver a pie from Vincenzo's to my old man before midnight."

"Old man?" Frankie chuckled.

"My dad." Jolene corrected herself.

"It's early. We can have the kitchen make you a fresh pie when you're ready to head out." Doug offered.

Donna, waiting patiently for her friend to shut them down, couldn't hide her surprise when Jolene asked, "How about a raincheck?"

Doug smiled broadly. "Well, if that's your counteroffer, it's better than a 'no'."

Jolene smiled back, shocking Donna again. She wasn't used to seeing her friend flirt with anyone but Jackson Teller. "I'll give you my number."

* * *

Donna gripped the armrests of her chair, desperately biting her bottom lip and trying to keep herself from giggling like a juvenile freak. Jolene, sitting in the pedicure chair next to her reading a magazine, gave her friend a sideways glance as she soaked her feet. No longer able to contain herself, Donna cut loose with a belly laugh so genuine and hearty that Jolene couldn't help but smile.

"Ticklish much?" Jolene snarked as Donna begged the pedicurist to please stop scrubbing the soles of her feet.

"Oh God!" Donna laughed as she wiped tears from her cheeks. "You have no idea! This is why I never get my feet done."

"You have to forgive her," Jolene directed at the young Eastern European girl working on Donna's feet. "She doesn't get out of the home often and missed her last round of meds."

Donna smacked Jolene on the shoulder with the magazine she had been holding on her lap. "I have to admit, though, it feels great getting my feet pampered after working two twelve-hour shifts in a row."

"What, Nicky running a sweatshop now?" Jolene teased.

"Hey, not all of us are lucky enough to snag a cushy job sitting on their ass all day." Donna groused playfully.

"That was _so_ not my idea," Jolene started. "But I have to admit, it's not as bad as it could be. Gemma usually takes off when I get in after school."

"Good because without Jax around as a buffer between you and his mom it could get ugly." Donna commented, calmer now that the pedicurist had moved on and was getting ready to paint her toenails.

"Hey, I can take care of myself and I certainly don't need Jax Teller to fight my battles." Jolene insisted almost angrily.

"I didn't say you did." Donna replied earnestly. Her friend may not need Jax to fight her battles for her, but if her sudden fits of irritability at the mere mention of his name was anything to go by, Jolene sure missed him.

In an effort to change the subject, Donna decided to discuss their plan for Friday night. Hopefully, nothing was set in stone.

"Did Doug call about Friday?" She asked.

Jolene smirked. "He sure did. He wants to take us to some club in Oakland." Jolene narrowed her eyes at her friend as Donna grimaced. "What's with that face?"

Donna shrugged her shoulders. "I just can't believe you're actually considering going out with them again." She replied referencing the "double date" the two girls had gone out on with Doug and Frankie on Monday.

They had met up in Stockton for coffee in order to get to know each other better. Since then, Doug had called Jolene repeatedly, trying to convince her to go on a real date on Friday. Jolene and Doug may have hit it off, but Donna thought Frankie was a creep. Come to think of it, Donna thought both young men were kind of creepy.

"Honestly, Jo, it's just that I can think of about a million other things I'd rather do on a Friday night than hang out with those two, like getting a root canal or my butt waxed."

"We do Brazilian, yes?" the young pedicurist offered as she carefully applied a pale pink polish to Donna's toes.

"No," Jolene giggled. "Not today. Unless you want to." She directed at Donna.

"No, I _don't_ want to. Just like I don't want to waste a Friday night with those two." Donna insisted.

"D, you know I can't go without you. You're my wingman." Jolene grabbed her hand.

"You like Doug?" Donna asked, her nose wrinkled in distaste.

"Not like that, D. It's just nice having a guy show some interest for once." Jolene explained. "Doug's a nice guy."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Maybe, but Frankie's an asshole. He sure got a kick out of hearing about your association to the MC, asking if you were a biker groupie that got passed around like a joint."

"He also said that I must have an awesome crank connection, but I put him in his place, like a badass biker bitch would." Jolene kidded.

Donna turned to look her friend in the eye. "That doesn't bother you, though? Having to defend yourself against people like him who think they know you just because your dad's in a motorcycle club?"

"He's not the first jerk to make an assumption like that, D and he won't be the last." Jolene replied. "It's no different from those in Charming who think they know Opie just because of his association with the Club."

Donna's eyes widened. "That's not fair and so totally different from what we're talking about."

"All I'm saying is that both Opie and I are second generation SAMCRO. We can handle our shit and don't really care what outsiders think."

"OMG! How did this suddenly become about me and Ope?"

"It didn't." Jolene shook her head innocently. "I'm just saying. So are you coming with me or not?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really." Jolene smiled triumphantly.

"Yeah, yeah, but you're paying for my pedicure." Donna gave in petulantly.

"I'll go the extra mile," Jolene started with a mischievous gleam in her eye. "I'll pay for your ass waxing, too."

* * *

Jolene should have known she was going to get stood up by her bestie when she hadn't heard from Donna in a day-and-a-half. After school on Friday, Jolene tracked her down at Nicky's just as Donna was about to end her shift. Jolene had offered to hang around and give her a lift home so they could get ready, but Donna started with the excuses as to why she couldn't go, until finally breaking down and telling Jolene she didn't want to go. She had something better planned for the weekend, but was not ready to share the news with Jolene yet, especially since she was still so down about Jax.

A little disappointed that Donna would flake out on her at the last minute, Jolene called Doug on her way home to let him know that she wouldn't be able to go. Suddenly, Jolene had a flash of intuition. Realizing that she would probably spend Friday night in her father's man cave, scarfing down buckets of overly-buttered popcorn in her fleece feet pajamas with no hope of Jax intruding on her chick flick night, Jolene changed her mind. Instead, she advised Doug that she was flying solo and asked that he pick her up at the Clubhouse. After giving him directions to Charming, Jolene hung up and called Luann at Cara Cara. She had never been clubbing before and needed help pulling an outfit together.

Although she could never admit it to Donna and hated herself for feeling this way, Jolene missed Jax. Whenever she thought about him, tempting her to give his pre-pay a call just to hear his voice, Jolene would quickly remind herself that he was off having the time of his life in Reno and that she was probably the last thing on his mind. Angered by this realization, Jolene was more determined than ever to prove that Jax wasn't the only one that could move on, even though she would probably have to come up with a story to cover her tracks. There was no way in hell that neither her father nor Gemma would ok her going to an Oakland nightclub on a Friday night.

Jolene smiled to herself as she parked her Mustang in the driveway of the Morrow house. Luann was meeting her in about an hour. This gave her plenty of time to shower and do her hair. She would grab a few pieces she could probably put together for a night out in the town and head over to the Clubhouse. Jolene decided she would cover her tracks by telling Gemma she was going to Lodi with Donna and her parents for dinner and then spending the night at her bestie's. Feeling a slight twinge of remorse because she felt the need to lie, Jolene shrugged her shoulders, trying to convince herself that she had nothing to worry about.

_After all, what's the worse that can happen?_


End file.
